“The Glades” returns along with new series “Longmire” June 3 on A&E
Matt Passmore stars in "The Glades." - A&E Photo
The third season of “The Glades” is set to begin at 8 p.m., Sunday, June 3, with the new drama “Longmire” starting its ten-episode first season immediately following at 9 p.m. on A&E.
Season three of “The Glades” opens with Jim (Matt Passmore) and Carlos (Carlos Gomez) investigating the death of a millionaire who bequeathed all his wealth to an organization of UFO enthusiasts and the organizations’ leader accusing police of covering up the true cause of death: an alien abduction; while at the same time. Jim and Callie’s (Kiele Sanchez) relationship heats up, but Callie’s job search to enable her to stay in Palm Glade is not so sizzling.
Contemporary crime thriller “Longmire,” set in Big Sky country and based on the Walt Longmire Mystery novels by best-selling author Craig Johnson, stars Australian actor Robert Taylor as Walt Longmire, the charismatic, dedicated and unflappable sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyo,, according to a news release.
Cast members of “Longmire” also include Katee Sackhoff, Lou Diamond Phillips, Bailey Chase, Cassidy Freeman and Adam Bartley.
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Robert Taylor stars in "Longmire." - A&E Photo
“Fringe” renewed for fifth and final season
From left, Jasika Nicole, Lance Reddick, John Noble, Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, Blair Brown and Seth Gabel. - Fox Photo
Fox has picked up its sci-fi drama “Fringe” for a fifth and final thirteen-episode season,
“’Fringe’ is a remarkably creative series that has set the bar as one of television’s most imaginative dramas. Bringing it back for a final thirteen allows us to provide the climactic conclusion that its passionate and loyal fans deserve,” Fox Broadcasting Company President of Entertainment Kevin Reilly said in a news release. “The amazing work the producers, writers and the incredibly talented cast and crew have delivered the last four seasons has literally been out of this world. Although the end is bittersweet, it’s going to be a very exciting final chapter.”
“Fringe” co-creator and executive producer J.J. Abrams stated in the release, “We are thrilled and beyond grateful that Fox – and our fans – have made the impossible possible: ‘Fringe’ will continue into a fifth season that will allow the series to conclude in a wild and thrilling way. All of us at Bad Robot are forever indebted to our viewers and the amazingly supportive Fox network for allowing the adventures of Fringe Division to not only continue, but to resolve in a way that perfectly fits the show.”
“This pickup means the world (both of them) to us, because we love sharing these stories with our enthusiastic fans,” added “Fringe” showrunners and executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman in the release. “On behalf of the cast and crew, we applaud our fans and Fox for allowing us to imagine the impossibilities together for so long. Season Five is going to be a conclusive thrill ride for all of us.”
The fourth season of “Fringe” ends with three new episodes in a row, counting down to the two-part season finale airing at 8 p.m., Friday, May 4 and at 8 p.m., Friday, May 11 on Fox.
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“Men at Work”: Production begins on new TBS sitcom
From left, Danny Masterson, Adam Busch, Michael Cassidy and James Lesure star in "Men at Work." - TBS Photo
Production has started in Los Angeles on the new TBS original comedy series from Sony Pictures Televisio “Men at Work,” according to a news release.
Created by Breckin Meyer (“Franklin & Bash”), the sitcom features Danny Masterson (“That ’70s Show”), Michael Cassidy (“The O.C.”), Adam Busch (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), James Lesure (“Las Vegas”) and Meredith Hagner (“Royal Pains”), and centers on four friends who work together at a magazine.
Masterson portrays the recently dumped Milo, whose buddies are set on helping him get back into the dating game.
Lesure plays photographer and ladies man Gibbs; Cassidy is Tyler, a features writer with a sense of style and sophistication; and Busch plays Neal, a somewhat nebbish reporter who’s also the only one in the group with a steady girlfriend (Hagner).
Guest stars scheduled to appear this summer include Stacy Keibler, J.K. Simmons and Kathy Najimy.
“Men at Work” is set to air at 9 p.m., Thursdays on TBS, beginning with back-to-back episodes on May 24.
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Bridgit Mendler chosen as “Role Model of the Year” by Common Sense Media
Bridgit Mendler - Disney Channel Photo
Bridgit Mendler, who stars in the hit Disney Channel series “Good Luck Charlie,” was named “Role Model of the Year” during the eighth annual Common Sense Media Awards, Wednesday, April 25 at City Hall in San Francisco, according to a news release.
Common Sense Media is an independent, non-profit organization that assists parents and teachers with managing the media and technology in children’s lives, and the awards honor innovative minds from the realms of entertainment, public policy and technology for kids.
Mendler, best known for her roles on “Good Luck Charlie” and the Disney Channel Original Movie “Lemonade Mouth,” was commended as a champion for how to be a responsible citizen in a 24/7 digital universe
She recently teamed up with Common Sense Media and Disney’s Friends for Change and starred in a series of anti-cyberbullying public service announcements.
Disney’s Friends for Change is a campaign that inspires children and families to make a positive impact on their world.
A Hollywood Records’ musician, singer and songwriter, Mendler also performed and co-wrote the 2011 Disney Friends for Change anthem, “We Can Change The World.”
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“Drop Dead Diva”: Fourth season debuts June 3
From left: April Bowlby, Ben Feldman, Margaret Cho, Brooke Elliott, Jackson Hurst, Kate Levering and Josh Stamberg star in "Drop Dead Diva." - Lifetime Photo
The thirteen-episode fourth season of the Lifetime series “Drop Dead Diva” premieres at 8 p.m., Sunday, June 3, with guest stars including Norman native Megyn Price, Kim Kardashian, Serena Williams, John Ratzenberger, Patty Duke, Emily Rutherford and Jake T. Austin, according to a news release.
Kardashian makes her mulitple episode debut in the season opener on the show, which follows the story of Deb, a model wannabe who dies in a car accident and whose soul ends up in the body of plus-size, recently deceased attorney Jane, played by Brooke Elliott. (Elliott lived in Enid for a few years while growing up.) Through a twist of fate and divine intervention, Deb restarts her life as Jane and begins to see life through a different perspective.
Margaret Cho, Jackson Hurst, Kate Levering, April Bowlby and Josh Stamberg also star in “Drop Dead Diva,” with Carter MacIntyre and Lex Medlin joining the ensemble cast as series regulars this season.
Brandy Norwood and Valerie Harper reprise their roles from last season as well.
Season four starts with Jane and Owen (Medlin) enjoying a vacation in Italy, while back at home, the law firm is on shaky ground under Kim’s (Levering) leadership. Teri (Cho) is sent to bring Jane home to tackle a lucrative murder case as Grayson (Hurst) comes to terms with his new feelings for Jane.
At the same time, Fred (Ben Feldman) moves on with a new girlfriend after hearing the devastating news about Grayson and Stacy (Bowlby) kissing in last season’s finale. This leads Stacy to turn to famed relationship guru Nikki LePree (Kardashian) for romance advice.
The third season of “Drop Dead Diva” will be available on DVD May 29.
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“The Living Room with Gerry Bonds”: May edition features Olympic-related topics
From left, Kaitlyn McElroy, Shaun Caven and Gerry Bonds - Provided Photo
The May edition of “The Living Room with Gerry Bonds’” radio program centers on Olympic-related subjects, beginning with the role the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation, the Devon Boathouse rowing facility and the USA Canoe/Kayak organization is playing to bring the Oklahoma River to the forefront in training athletes and engaging the community in river sports, according to a news release.
Sprint kayaker Kaitlyn McElroy and her coach Shaun Caven will be the first guests on the program. Caven is the USA Canoe/Kayak team coach, and was previously an Olympic coach for the British National Team in 2008, with one of his athletes taking home the gold medal.
McElroy finished second in the Olympic trials here and will compete in events in Poland and Germany.
The second segment features Mike Knopp, executive director of the OKC Boathouse Foundation, and gold medalist Joe Jacobi, who is also CEO of USA Canoe/Kayak.
River programs, the boathouses and Finish Line Tower, as well as what’s ahead for the riverfront will be discussed.
In addition, Bonds will also have a phone interview with New York Times critically acclaimed author Kate Buford, who was the first guest on “The Living Room with Gerry Bonds” back in September as she was launching her biography of Oklahoma’s Jim Thorpe, “Native American Son.”
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Thorpe’s legendary gold medal Olympic accomplishments, the BBC has been interviewing Buford on the athlete’s life, the subsequent loss of his medals and his influence on sports in today’s world. The BBC is producing several documentaries to air during the London Olympics in July.
“The Living Room with Gerry Bonds” will be broadcast on KOSU at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 2; at 2:30 p.m., Saturday, May 5; and at 8:30 a.m., Tuesday, May 8; as well as live streaming on the Internet at kosu.org.
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From left, Mike Knopp and Joe Jacobi - Provided Photo
“Duke”: Hallmark Movie Channel film affecting
Steven Weber stars in "Duke." - Hallmark Movie Channel Photo
In the Hallmark Movie Channel film inspired by true events “Duke,” Steven Weber (“Wings”) stars as Marine Sergeant Terry Pulaski, a husband and father returning from Iraq and struggling with PTSD and a disabling injury.
As Terry battles with depression, his schoolteacher wife Bethany (Kendall Cross (“Caprica”) brings home a stray dog that her students have named Duke, and Terry and the border collie form a strong bond.
When Terry faces a career setback that greatly affects his self-worth, he makes a life-changing decision to go out on his own with Duke because he believes he’s become a burden to his family.
The story then picks up ten years later as Terry and Duke, after being homeless, are living in old RV parked in a friend’s carport.
As Terry tries to make ends meet by doing odd jobs for people in the neighborhood, Duke becomes very ill, and Terry is faced with another major decision – one that will not only affect his and Duke’s lives, but ultimately the life of one of the family members he abandoned in the past.
Although there are definitely some emotional moments during this movie, the ending is unexpected, and Weber is extraordinary in his role, conveying sympathy for Terry despite his choice to leave his family, and in the way he channels his battle with PTSD and depression.
This is also a film that accurately depicts the importance of the special attachment and connection that pets, especially dogs, can provide.
“Duke” premieres at 7 p.m., Saturday, April 28, on the Hallmark Movie Channel.
– Melissa Hayer
mhayer@opubco.com
Follow me on Twitter: @MelissaHayer
Steven Weber stars in "Duke." - Hallmark Movie Channel Photo
Movies on Demand May schedule
Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams star in "The Vow" - Screen Gems Photo
The following is a schedule of Cox Communications’ Movies on Demand May films, according to a news release:
5/1 – New Year’s Eve (WB) – (PG-13) Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Jon Bon Jovi, Abigail Breslin, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel, Zac Efron, Hector Elizondo, Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Seth Meyers, Lea Michele, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michelle Pfeiffer, Til Schweiger, Hilary Swank, Sofia Vergara
5/1 – Haywire (Lionsgate) – (R) Gina Carano, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Bill Paxton, Channing Tatum, Antonio Baneras, Michael Douglas
5/1 – Joyful Noise (Lionsgate) – (R) Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton, Keke Palmer, Jeremy Jordan
5/3 – Regeneration (WB) – (TV-14) Narration: Ryan Gosling [Same Day as Theatrical]
5/8 – Underworld Awakening (Sony) – (R) Kate Beckinsale, Stephen Rhea, Michael Ealy, Theo James, India Eisley, Charles Dance
5/11 – The Vow (Sony) – (PG-13) Channing Tatum, Rachel McAdams, Jessica McNamee, Scott Speedman, Jessica Lange, Sam Neill
5/11 – Dragon Eyes (WB) – (R) Jean-Claude Van Damme, Cung Le, Peter Weller [Same Day as Theatrical]
5/11 – Transit (WB) – (R) Jim Caviezel, James Frain, Elisabeth Rohm, Harold Perrineau, Ryan Donowho [Same Day as Theatrical]
5/11 – El Gringo (WB) – (R) Christian Slater, Scott Adkins, Yvette Yates [Same Day as Theatrical]
5/15 – One For the Money (Lionsgate) – (PG-13) Katherine Heigl, Jason O’Mara, Daniel Sunjata, John Leguizamo, Debbie Reynolds, Sherri Shepherd
5/15 – The Devil Inside (Paramount) – (R) Fernanda Andrade, Simon Quarterman, Evan Helmuth, Suzan Crowley
5/15 – Chronicle (Fox) – (PG-13) Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Kelly, Ashley Hinshaw
5/15 – The Grey (Universal) – (R) Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney
5/15 – Rampart (Lionsgate) – (R) Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster, Cynthia Nixon, Anne Heche, Steve Buscemi, Sigourney Weaver, Robin Wright, Ice Cube, Brie Larson
5/22 – Red Tails (Fox) – (PG-13) Nate Parker, David Oyelowo, Ne-Yo, Elijah Kelley, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Terrence Howard
5/22 – The Secret World of Arrietty (Buena Vista) Bridgit Mendler, Amy Poehler, Will Arnett, Carol Burnett
5/29 – Gone (Summit) – (PG-13) Amanda Seyfried, Daniel Sunjata, Jennifer Carpenter, Wes Bentley
5/29 – Man on a Ledge (Summit) – (PG-13) Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Anthony Mackie, Genesis Rodriguez, Ed Harris
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Sam Worthington stars in "Man on a Ledge" - Provided Photo
Raza Jaffrey enjoys song debut in “Smash”
Raza Jaffrey stars in "Smash." - NBC Photo
(This article was published in the Life section of The Oklahoman, April 23, 2012.)
Musical numbers are an expected element of the NBC hit series “Smash,” which centers on the making of a Broadway musical about Marilyn Monroe.
What’s not so expected is that in Monday’s episode, “Publicity,” there’s a Bollywood number, “A Thousand and One Nights,” and it features a character who’s not in the musical-to-be.
Dev (Raza Jaffrey), who works for the New York City mayor, sings a duet with his girlfriend, actress/singer Karen (Katharine McPhee), in a dream sequence.
A British actor with a musical theater background, Jaffrey, 36, called from London recently where he was promoting the series with other cast members for its launch there.
He discussed what’s ahead for “Smash” — which also stars Debra Messing, Megan Hilty, Angelica Huston and Jack Davenport and airs at 9 p.m. Mondays on NBC — as well as the setup for his character’s first musical number on the show.
“It came about in a slightly odd way, really. I hadn’t expected to be singing in the show, and the fantastic (songwriters) Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman had seen me do work in ‘Bombay Dreams’ years ago in London, and actually ‘Mamma Mia!’ as well, so they knew I could sing.
“When they first said we’ve got to get you singing in the show, I wondered how the heck they were going to get it in, really. I thought, ‘What’s going to happen? Am I going to be sitting at home with the guitar, singing slightly out of tune, trying to tell Karen that this is how she should be doing the numbers?’ ”
It turned out to be the biggest production number to date, involving the whole cast, Jaffrey said.
“Everyone joins in right at the very end of it, so it was kind of a celebratory day actually. It was great to have us all together all doing that. We had a lot of laughs that day.”
As for what’s coming up for the show’s plot, there’s a surprise in store.
“I have to say that, without giving too much away, … there was a moment when I read the script in an episode that’s coming … that my jaw hit the floor when I read what (series creator) Theresa’s (Rebeck) come up with.
“It involves Dev and Karen, and it’s certainly not something you’d have expected. And they’ve done a good job at sending surprises our way, which is always great as an actor because when you get to play something kind of juicy like that, it’s a treat. … But I think people will get a bit of a shock. You’ll never have seen that coming for Karen and Dev.”
Despite their on-screen rivalry for the role of Marilyn Monroe, stars Hilty and McPhee get along pretty well when the camera’s not rolling, Jaffrey said.
“Quite often we have little screening nights, you know, where we watch the episodes together, and the girls are a riot when they’re together. They’re like sisters, the two of them actually. It’s wonderful to see.”
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Wendell Edwards and Maggie Stokes began new KOCO-TV 5 weekday morning anchor duties today
KOCO-TV 5 anchors Maggie Stokes and Wendell Edwards began serving as weekday co-anchors of Eyewitness News Five in The Morning today, April 23, joining Meteorologist Damon Lane, according to a news release.
Stokes has fulfilled various anchoring and reporting roles for Eyewitness News 5 since 2009, including interviewing such Oklahoma newsmakers as country music superstar Carrie Underwood and NFL star Wes Welker, as well as covering breaking news and severe weather.
Stokes worked as an anchor and web reporter for KOTV in Tulsa before joining Eyewitness News 5, and began her journalism career as a reporter and later as morning and midday anchor at KTEN-TV in Denison, Tx.
Edwards’ award-winning reporting has been featured in investigative reports and breaking news coverage at Eyewitness News Five since 2008.
Edwards’ awards include a 2009 OAB Award for Investigative Reporting for his story “School Safety Under Fire” and a 2008 Salute to Excellence Award from the National Association of Black Journalists.
Previously, Edwards served as weekend evening anchor for KOCO-TV 5, and prior to that, he served as a general assignment reporter for KHOU-TV in Houston, Tx.
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