Television News

Linda Hamilton will reprise her role as Chuck's (Zachary Levi) mom, Mary, in the two-hour series finale. And that, alas, is about all we can tell you at the moment. "If I said anything" about the circumstances of Hamilton's return, "I'd be ruining too many good spoilers," co-creator Chris Fedak tells TV Guide. "Chuck" is in its final week of filming, and the cast and crew have already shot the last scene of the finale (though not the last scene ever, since they're going out of order). "There were a lot of tears," Fedak says. "... We have been cherishing each day as we've neared the end." Fortunately for the rest of us, that end won't come for a while. "Chuck" …

"We're leading up to the baby being born and that's about where we finished shooting was the birth of the baby," McPartlin tells Zap2it. "I think that was originally going to be the end of the show [at the 13th episode], but thank God we just keep coming back. I think they actually timed the birth out though and they said it's close to the timing with the initial pregnancy announcement." Ten of the 13 episodes originally ordered for the season have aired so far, but NBC recently announced that it was ordering a back 11 episodes. "Fans like people naming themselves after us give us publicity," says the actor, referring to the man who legally changed his name to Captain Awe…

It seems like I'm saying that just about every week, but "Chuck" is on a huge roll of late. Last week's minor letdown aside, the show has been piling excellent on top of excellent for at least a month. We have to start with the giant blonde she-male -- er, Sarah (actually, the overplaying of that joke was one of the few bum notes in this episode) and her "Kickboxer"/"Ong Bak"/"Bloodsport"/pick your favorite martial-arts movie fight in Thailand. We haven't seen this much Sarah Walker awesomeness in one episode in a long time, and watching her pretty much obliterate any and all in her path gave a huge jolt of adrenaline to the episode -- and the fight choreography in the "K…

And let us all now praise Timothy Dalton. There could have been easier ways for the character of Volkoff to go in this episode -- the psycho part of him could have melted away in favor of the lovesick part -- but to his immense credit, Dalton played crazy-in-love about as well as I've ever seen it played on television. "Chuck" hasn't really gotten any recognition from the Emmys in its first three seasons, but Dalton gave an award-worthy performance here -- funny, scary, intense and great. While we still don't quite know what Mary Bartowski is up to -- she says her mission is to take down Volkoff's network, but do we want to take her at her word? -- "Leftovers" at least ga…

And now one of our favorite shows is doing its own take on the medium. "I love those specials," says "Community's" creator and executive producer Dan Harmon. "They have huge emotional value to me, because most of them are on the theme of awkward people realizing that it's okay for them to be awkward. That's what the 'Community' version of it is, as well." In the holiday episode, Abed (played by Danny Pudi​) wakes to find himself in a stop motion winter wonderland. The gang soon joins him for what ultimately becomes an exploration of Abed's brain. "It's a weird art form. It's about being meticulous, but also being completely off-the-wall," Harmon explains. "And that's very…

[imgleft] [/imgleft]Katharine McPhee is guest-starring on "Community" Thursday (March 11), but had things broken a little differently you could have seen the former "American Idol" runner-up on an different NBC series this season. McPhee tells Zap2it that earlier this season she talked with NBC about a role on "Trauma": "It was after the show had already started to air," she says. "They were going to add a new character, and I was going to go to network and test for the part, but I really wasn't ready to sign on for a show. ... It just didn't work out." The experience did, however, put McPhee "on the NBC radar," and that eventually helped lead to her guest spot on "…

Fans of Cougar Town, fear not. The show's third season is still a go as far as ABC is concerned. Cougar Town is likely to return in the March, said ABC Entertainment president Paul Lee. He went on to say, “We’re going to give [Cougar Town] a really good launch pad,” adding that he thinks the show could be part of a block of “young comedies” with Happy Endings and midseason entrant Don’t Trust the B--- in Apartment 23. HE continued to say, "Nothing is set in stone, and no exact date was talked about, but things are looking good for the show's upcoming return." Click here to view the article

[imgleft] [/imgleft] Sheryl Crow showed up on "30 Rock" last season playing herself, but acting wasn't exactly her thing... until now. "Cougar Town" sources confirm that Crow has been cast in a three-episode arc as Grayson's (Josh Hopkins) new girlfriend. Word is, Crow's character will be a wine distributor, which makes sense given that Grayson owns a bar. Crow is a close friend of "Cougar Town" star Courteney Cox and series creator Bill Lawrence is known for giving guest roles to friends of his show's actors. Question is, can Crow act? We're thinking, yes. She is going to be in three whole episodes. Any thoughts on the casting? Follow Korbi on Tw…

Shudder announced today that Creepshow has been picked up for a second season. The good news arrives on the eve of the show's Halloween freshman finale, which will conclude a successful debut run. The comedic horror anthology series premiered in September as the first hour-long original on the AMC-owned streaming service. On top of drawing critical acclaim, the show is pulling in record audiences according to the outlet. Executive produced by Greg Nicotero, best known for his work on The Walking Dead, Creepshow is based on the 1982 classic film where a comic book comes to life in a series of vignettes that explore horror stories about topics like murder, …

[imgleft] [/imgleft] Oscar winner Forest Whitaker is likely headed back into series TV with the lead role in CBS' planned "Criminal Minds" spinoff. Whitaker is close to signing a deal to star in the spinoff, which will focus on a new group of FBI profilers. The "Last King of Scotland" star will also get a producer credit on the show, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The spinoff will be introduced during a "Criminal Minds" episode set to air in the spring, in keeping with how CBS has launched the newer iterations of "CSI" and "NCIS: Los Angeles." Whitaker will play a former top FBI profiler who has been out of the spotlight for several years when he takes over as…

[imgleft] [/imgleft] The cast and producers of "Damages" will be doing weekly conference calls this season, offering their thoughts on the previous episode and what's to come. Zap2it is on the case with them. (A rather large spoiler is coming in a couple sentences' time, so if you haven't watched the season premiere yet, best to click away now.) "Damages" kicked off its third season Monday (Jan. 25) with a doozy of a "six months later" revelation. Police investigating a car that rammed into Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) uncover a body in a trash bin -- none other than that of Tom Shayes (Tate Donovan). From the earliest evidence, it looks like his death may tie into the…

[imgleft] [/imgleft] Considering what happened to him in the season premiere of "Damages," you wouldn't think things could get much worse for Tom Shayes. Wrong. We learned in the season's second episode that Tom (Tate Donovan) -- who is destined to die this season -- also has a personal connection to the legal case he and Patty (Glenn Close) are pursuing and saw a couple of pieces come together regarding the investment fraud and the mysterious homeless guy (Michael Laurence), who apparently lives next to a very important trash bin. Donovan and co-creator Todd Kessler talked about those developments and more in a conference call Tuesday (Feb. 2). Some highlights:…

Netflix cut back its superhero fare further today, cancelling Daredevil after three seasons. The somewhat surprising move comes the month after fellow Marvel entries Luke Cage and Iron Fist were also axed at the streaming service. The reasons behind the recent cancellations are unknown, but appears clear that Netflix is making a visible effort to pare down on its Marvel-related original content. Moving forward, just two active series remain from the comic imprint: Jessica Jones and The Punisher. It is not clear if the Daredevil character will make any appearances in either of the other shows' upcoming seasons, but a statement from the streamer mentioned that the char…

It's official: Designated Survivor will be returning for a third season. The cancelled political drama has been revived by Netflix with a 10-episode order for next year. The surprise announcement comes after a prolonged negotiation effort between the streaming service and the show's Canadian-based production company, Entertainment One. The Kiefer Sutherland-led series premiered in 2016 on ABC and was one of the network's best-performing new entries of the season, attracting a healthy audience and even picking up a Critics' Choice award. The initial interest didn't last long, though, as its numbers dipped in Season 2 after the show's main plot wrapped up. The decline …

[imgleft] [/imgleft] Typically seen fighting aliens on BBC's "Torchwood" series, John Barrowman will soon take on the "Desperate Housewives." An ABC representative has confirmed to Zap2it that Barrowman is joining the cast this season in a five-episode arc that will begin in April. A "show insider" told Entertainment Weekly that Barrowman will complicate Drea de Matteo's character Angie's storyline in this season's big mystery. Angie Bolen and her family have tried to lay low on Wisteria Lane. Of course, we all know that just makes the housewives pry even more. A recent episode shed light on the domestic terrorism crime, which keeps the family on the run. Ana (pl…

That remains to be seen on the Season 5 finale "The Big One" on Sunday, Dec. 12 on Showtime. Her fate is in the hands of motivational speaker Jordan Chase(Jonny Lee Miller), who headed up a sort of rape/torture club for Lumen and other similar looking blondes. He's abducted her and is taking her -- well, we have no idea where. Last we checked, he was supposed to fly out of town on a speaking gig, but that was just a ruse. Dexter (Michael C. Hall) just needs to find them before it's too late. Aw, it's nice that Dexter has family, and Astor (Christina Robinson) surely cleaned up her look from last time. We just hope he'll be able to celebrate with them later. This has been …

Spoilers! Don't make us take out our knives. Let's just fastforward to the most crucial scene, shall we? Jordan Chase (Jonny Lee Miller) has taken Lumen (Julia Stiles) to the River Jordan Camp for Boys and Girls, and Dexter (Michael C. Hall​) finds them, thanks to the Office of County Records, which had listed Eugene Greer for that property. Just when it looks like Jordan has the upper hand -- Lumen is strung up, Dexter is captured after flipping his car -- Dex surprises their captor with a hidden knife. Jordan is speedily strapped to a table (or is it a gurney)? After one of the most twisted conversations ever, in which Jordan keeps trying to make Lumen thank him for "tr…

Late Tuesday, Dec. 14, Julia Stiles finally chimed in on her Golden Globe nod, hours after the nominations were announced and all the other stars had already given their statements of varying amounts of glee. The actress, who nabbed the nomination for her guest starring turn in "Dexter," was apparently at some "undisclosed location out of the country," according to a Showtime publicist. "It's bizarre receiving the news in such a remote place where internet access is difficult and phones are impossible, but I'm glad I checked my email," Stiles says in a statement. "I'm beyond thrilled! It was an honor to be part of the show, and to have my work reco…

On Sunday's (Dec. 5) episode "Hop a Freighter," Miami Metro isn't just looking for the rape club that targeted the Barrel Girls but also who might be taking out each of the guys -- well, Deb (Jennifer Carpenter) is anyway. Masuka (C.S. Lee) has found new evidence though, and Dexter (Michael C. Hall) isn't too thrilled that the police are trying endangering his prey (that's his job). Hmm, wonder how Laguerta (Lauren Velez) feels about Deb's little vigilante theory. Meanwhile, Dexter and Lumen (Julia Stiles) are all post-coital relationship-y feeling now. So of course they're cosy on the floor, doing what couples do best -- plot the capture of Jordan Chase (Jonny Lee Mille…

The Showtime drama starring Michael C. Hall​ as a serial killer who targets other serial killers has officially been renewed for a sixth season. It's no surprise really considering the show is on pace to post its highest ratings ever with its upcoming finale. The Nov. 28 episode "In the Beginning" drew the second-highest number of viewers in the series' ratings history, just shy of the Season 4 finale. The steady growth could mean big things for the most recent episode, "Hop a Freighter," and the Dec. 12 finale. "'Dexter' is the best suspense drama on television," says David Nevins, Showtime's President of Entertainment. "To grow its audience so significantly in its fifth…

The fifth season, which concluded with "The Big One" Sunday night (Dec. 12), averaged more than 5 million viewers per week, making it the series' highest-rated season to date. The finale itself nabbed 2.9 million viewers from the 9 p.m. (2.5 million) and 11 p.m. (401,000) airings combined. This is on par with the series' stellar Season 4 finale and a good 40 percent up from the premiere's 1.77 million viewers. When all is said and done and watched On Demand/Live+7, the Season 5 finale could boast as many as 6 million viewers. In "The Big One," Dexter (Michael C. Hall) concludes his search for Lumen (Julia Stiles) , who's been kidnapped by Jordan, the leader of a group of …

Dexter is closing in on everybody. In Sunday's (Nov. 28) episode "In the Beginning," everyone is getting closer to either the truth, capturing their prey or showing their hand. Deb (Jennifer Carpenter) and Quinn (Desmond Harrington) confront Jordan Chase (Jonny Lee Miller) about his missing head of security and his apparent lack of concern. It's fun to watch Deb because she's not one to hide her feelings, and Jordan definitely is feeling defensive. Don't poke the bear, Deb! Who knows who he'll take his anger out on next. At least she's not his "type." Speaking of "type," Lumen (Julia Stiles) has noticed that Emily Birch -- she of the blood necklace -- looks similar to he…

First of all, love does not run smoothly in the "Dexter" world. As soon as a couple gets moony-eyed, we're afraid for the fate of their relationship or worse, their mortality. Both Deb (Jennifer Carpenter) and Dexter (Michael C. Hall) especially have bad track records. That doesn't mean we don't have hope though. We were reluctant at first but are coming around about Quinn (Desmond Harrington) and Deb together. She's seemed a little more steady, mature this season. And really, his declaration of love, saying that Deb's like a man, but in a good way, is just too adorable. Yeah, they deserve each other. We're not thrilled with how Deb's been making herself the target of Jor…

The Showtime thriller is switching out Season 5's showrunner with Scott Buck going into the sixth season. Buck's not exactly new to "Dexter," having been a co-executive producer since Season 2, but now they're ready to hand him the power. He's written the last three season finales. He used to write and produce for "Six Feet Under," which also starred Michael C. Hall. [Deadline] CBS has friended Rita Wilson and F. Murray Abraham. The two will visit "The Good Wife" for a February episode that's inspired by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and "The Social Network." [EW] "Eden" has been populated. USA's pilot has cast "Heroes" Nick D'Agosto as John Sparks, a concierge for an …

[imgleft] [/imgleft] "Dollhouse" is closing its doors for good, but from the looks of things Joss Whedon's show is going down fighting. Friday's (Jan. 29) series finale is called "Epitaph Two: Return," and as the title implies, it takes place in the ruined world portrayed in "Epitaph One," the show's first-season closer (seen only on DVD). FOX describes the finale this way: "Picking up from the events depicted in 'Epitaph One' ... and set in the year 2020, Echo and her surviving Dollhouse crew attempt to restore order to a devastating future world before mankind is eliminated." FOX has released three clips from the episode, which we present for your appetite-whettin…