TV Bits: ‘Game Of Thrones’, ‘Hannibal’, ‘Mad Men’, ‘Breaking Bad’, ‘Downton Abbey’, ‘Boardwalk Empire’, ‘The X-Files’, ‘Beverly Hills Cop’, And More
It’s been a few days since our last TV Bits (sorry!), so we have a ton of stuff to catch up on. After the jump:
Change is coming toDownton Abbey, as yet another character prepares her exit.Siobhan Finneran, who plays O’Brien, has confirmed that she won’t be back for Season 4.
Good thing there’ll be plenty of other new cast members to fill the gap, includingTom CullenandHarriet Walteras Crawley family friends; opera starKiri Te Kanawaas a guest;Julien Ovendonas an aristocrat;Joanne Davidas a duchess; andNigel Harmanas a valet. Additionally,Shirley MacLainewill reprise her role as Lady Cora’s mother. [Deadline,HitFix]
In his first series regular role,Jeffrey Wrighthas joined the cast ofBoardwalk Empire’s upcoming fourth season as “Valentin Narcisse, Doctor of Divinity, philanthropist, student of culture and the man who runs Harlem.” He joinsRon Livingston, another new regular who was added last week. Season 4 is shooting now and will air sometime this year. [Deadline]
Fox isn’t procrastinating when it comes to its favorite shows. The network has handed early renewals to freshman seriesThe FollowingandThe Mindy Project, along withNew GirlandRaising Hope. In addition, they’re in negotiations for a fifth season ofGlee.
[Deadline]
There’s less cheerful news for ABC’sThe Zero Hour, which has already been cancelled after just three episodes. The series was a bust both critically and commercially, so its demise probably won’t be mourned by many. [Vulture]
IsJay Lenogetting ready to hand overThe Tonight Showagain? Though NBC’s refusing to confirm anything, insider sources say that the network wants to make the 2013-2014 season Leno’s last on the series, withLate NighthostJimmy Fallonpoised to the over in summer 2014. If the rumor turns out to be true, let’s just hope Fallon has better luck than the last guy who transition into that spot. [THR]
The X-Filesis getting finally getting a tenth season. There is one major catch however: It comes in the form of a comic book by IDW. The new title will be executive produced byX-FilescreatorChris Carterand written byJoe Harris, with art byMichael Walshand colors byJordie Bellaire. Here’s a summary of the plot:
The X-Files: Season 10hits shelvesJune 19. [viaBloody Disgusting]Entertainment Weeklyhas an extra-glitzy look this week thanks toBehind the Candelabra,Steven Soderbergh’sLiberacebiopic for HBO.Michael Douglasstars as the flamboyant pianist, andMatt Damonas his much younger lover.Behind the CandelabraairsMay 26. [EW]
A sleek new trailer forMad Men’s sixth season has just arrived… and in typicalMad Menfashion, it reveals almost nothing at all. But at least everyone looks really nice.
Mad Menreturns with a two-hour season premiere onApril 7. [Deadline]
The new trailer for NBC’sHannibaldoesn’t offer too many plot points, either, but it does a good job of conveying the disturbing and disturbingly witty atmosphere of the series. Be warned that it gets kind of gruesome.
HannibaldebutsApril 4. [viaCinema Blend]
If that firstGame of Thronestrailer left you jonesing for more, HBO has now unveiled a longer cut of that trailer that adds about 25 seconds to the runtime. Not too shabby, considering the original version was just 60 seconds long.
We also have a series of stark (no pun intended) character posters for the show’s key figures, which you can flip through in the gallery below.
Game of Thrones' third season kicks offMarch 31. [viaHitFix]Breaking Badis an dark, disturbing, heart-pounding thrill ride. The set ofBreaking Bad, on the other hand, actually looks like a pretty fun, lighthearted place.
There are very few clues to be found here, but it’s just great to seeBryan Cranston,Dean Norris,Bob Odenkirk, andAaron Paulback in costume again. The second half ofBreaking Bad’s final season airs this summer on AMC. [viaCinema Blend]
