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Just in case you are interested, Hell on Wheels will be back for a third season. I lost attention somewhere in the middle of season one and never looked back. Well, it seems enough people enjoyed the show to make it worth three season.
Here is part of the AMC press release on the matter:
New York, NY – December 12, 2012 – AMC
announced today the renewal of “Hell on Wheels” for a third season with
John Wirth (“V” “Fallen Skies” “Terminator: The Sarah Connor
Chronicles”) serving as executive producer and showrunner. Season three
of the series has been greenlit for ten, one-hour episodes and is
scheduled to premiere in third quarter 2013.
Centered on the lawless town known as “Hell on Wheels,” that travels
with and services the construction of the first transcontinental
railroad, the series examines the railroad’s institutionalized greed and
corruption, the immigrant experience and the plight of the newly
emancipated African-Americans during reconstruction. “Hell on Wheels”
second season wrapped in October with an average of 2.4 million viewers
and 3.2 million viewers with Live plus 7.
“As we gear up for season three of ‘Hell on Wheels’ we are pleased to
have such an accomplished show runner as John Wirth join our team,”
said Susie Fitzgerald, AMC’s SVP of scripted development and current
programming. “With the help of our partners at Entertainment One,
Endemol and Nomadic, we look forward to a new season of the poetic and
pulpy adventures of Cullen Bohannan and the other characters as they
build the railroad across the US.”
“We’re delighted to continue our relationship with AMC, Endemol and
Nomadic Pictures,” said Michael Rosenberg, Executive VP, US Scripted
Television, Entertainment One Television. “John Wirth is an incredible
talent who will drive our roaring series and build on the strength and
success of the ‘Hell on Wheels’ brand.”
“We look forward to unveiling the next riveting chapter in the
complex lives of the denizens of ‘Hell on Wheels,’” said Jeremy Gold,
Head of Creative Affairs, Endemol Studios and executive producer, “Hell
on Wheels.” “We are delighted that John Wirth will be joining us on this
remarkable journey. John is a proven showrunner with a terrific voice
and a deep passion for our show,” Gold concluded.
“Hell on Wheels” stars Anson Mount as former confederate soldier
Cullen Bohannan, who is struggling to escape his demons from the
recently fought Civil War. Colm Meaney stars as Thomas “doc” Durant, a
greedy entrepreneur taking full advantage of the changing times, and
musician/actor Common is Elam Ferguson, an emancipated slave working to
achieve true freedom in a work entrenched in prejudice. “Hell on Wheels”
received a 2012 Emmy nomination for outstanding original main title
theme music.
Shot on location in Alberta, Canada, the series is produced with
assistance of the Government of Alberta, Alberta Film Development
Program.
The Brits have already had a chance to view season three of Downton Abbey, and starting January 6, 2013, America will get a look via PBS's Masterpiece. The upper-crust British import continues to fascinate Americans as they crawl out of the worst economic decline since the Great Depression and contemplate higher taxes for the local upper-crust.
The ever popular series that made PBS popular again may be around for awhile, and we have already heard of a fourth season, but not all of its actors have agreed to this scenario. While Shirley MacLaine (Martha Levinson) joined season three, we hear rumors that Dan Stevens (MatthewCrawley) has considered leaving after season three. Britain's Daily Mail reported a source as saying "Dan Stevens isn't returning to the series. He will probably do the first episode of the fourth series, but that will be it."
Jessica Brown Findlay (Lady Sybil) already left during season three to explore other opportunities, so you can imagine the show will need to find a way to write her out. I have already cheated and read ahead, but I will not spoil anything.
And Maggie Smith (Violet Crawley) presumably made some earlier noise about leaving, though this rumor was denied and she appeared in a successful season three (though she did not sign up for a season four so far). Maggie Smith also had a recent health scare, which may further influence any future decisions.
For a little bit more from the Downton Abbey cast, you should check out this PBS
YouTube video. By the way, you can always read all about season three via the British press, but what fun would that be?
If you missed it, check out last week's Simpsons episode "The Day the Earth Stood Cool" where the two zany worlds of Springfield and Portland intersect. Portlandia's Fred Armisen (as Terrence) and Carrie Brownstein (as Emily) guest star as cool new residents, offering a new perspective on life to Homer and Marge. And wait, there's more. On Friday (December 14) you can see a special holiday episode of Portlandia on IFC called “Winter in Portlandia” with all of your favorite characters. And stay tuned for season three of Portlandia, starting January 4.
As if we have not had enough politics this year, NBC is preparing its new show 1600 Penn for its January 10, 2013 premiere. While NBC calls it "Modern Family" meets "The West Wing," that may be a little generous given the few clips I have seen (though the show's executive producer/director is Jason Winer from Modern
Family). What I saw in the trailer was Animal House meets Benson. And given the high quality political comedy shows already available, including Hulu's Battleground, NBC's Parks and Recreation, and HBO's Veep, I am not sure this is really necessary or all that wise. Here is NBC's summary of the new show:
The Gilchrists are just the average American family dealing with
all the everyday issues, like a grown kid who's forced to move back
home, teenagers who are smarter than their teachers and a stepmom (Jenna
Elfman) desperately trying to win over the kids. They're loving, fun
and a little crazy. In other words, just like everyone else - with one
exception: they live in a very special house. The White House!
Whether it's entertaining foreign dignitaries, holding secret cabinet
meetings or putting out fires - figuratively and sometimes literally -
there's never a dull moment in the Gilchrist White House. For example,
the First Son (Josh Gad, star of the Broadway sensation "The Book of
Mormon") is one of the administration's biggest liabilities but also the
glue that holds this family together. The President (Bill Pullman)
knows too well that the only thing harder than being Head of State is
being head of the family.
And speaking of political shows, I was not surprised when I read Political Animals would not have a second season. I was not always sure the creators were aiming for comedy or drama, but neither seemed to work all that well. It had the right ingredients but the wrong chef. Maybe next time.
I was disappointed to hear that Starz' Boss with Kelsey Grammer (Mayor Tom Kane) was being cancelled after only two seasons due to low viewership (rather than his Republican beliefs). One could argue that all the back-stabbing in each episode was enough to kill all the characters by the time the second season ended, but quite a few survived. And in the real world, it appears Grammer (who won a Golden Globe for his role on the show) did little to court the TV critics who could have helped the show, as this August 2012 Washington Post story retells:
As Grammer and gang lobbied for “Boss” in the Beverly Hilton
ballroom, which was filled with journalists and company, Grammer’s
cellphone rang and he took the call.
It was his wife.
“Hi, honey. . . . Okay. Cool. . . . I’m [on] stage right now, but go ahead. . . . Oh, that sounds great. . . . But they should bring the truck, so they can to go Universal after that. . . . Call Stan. . . . Okay, 310- ”
Only
at that point did a technician turn off Grammer’s microphone, so TV
critics could not hear as Grammer read the phone number of his
publicist, Stan Rosenfeld, to wife No. 4, Kayte.
“Kelsey Grammer
is actually taking a phone call while in the middle of his #TCAs12 panel
and he is not keeping it brief. Power corrupts?” a pop culture
writer/deputy TV editor tweeted angrily.
This is something that even Mayor Tom Kane would have avoided, though I expect his wife would have been standing at his side anyway. A month after that strange event, Grammer walked out on an interview with CNN's Piers Morgan after he learned the topics might include his ex-wife.
The good news is that Starz may attempt a movie to wrap up the loose ends. This would be a nice consolation prize for loyal fans.
I never thought to much of Two and a Half Men was much of a show, with or without Charlie Sheen, but I expected that those making millions from the program would be somewhat supportive. Not so. Angus T. Jones, who plays the "half man" Jake, attempted to steer all of us away from the series during his interview with Christopher Hudson from the Bible-focused Forerunner Chronicles.
In an interview where Angus T. Jones discussed his new found christian faith, he went on to state:
Jake from Two and a Half Men means nothing. He is a non-existent character...If you watch Two and a Half Men, please stop watching Two and a Half Men. I'm on Two and a Half Men
and I don't want to be on it. Please stop watching it. Please stop filling your
head with filth. People say it’s just entertainment...Do some research on
the effects of television and your brain, and I promise you you’ll have
a decision to make when it comes to television, especially with what
you watch on the television. It's bad news...You might not have heard it otherwise.
Angus T. Jones goes on to align the show with "the enemy's plan," and states that a "true christian" cannot be on such a show. I am not sure what this means about his future with the series. What is interesting is that Hudson seemed uncomfortable in the video as Jones was denouncing Two and a Half Men. You can watch the video here on YouTube. This is actually part two of a 30 minute interview. Angus T. Jones' statements on his role as Jake are about 7.37 minutes into the second video.
While this was an authentic interview, I cannot say anything positive about the Forerunner Chronicles. This is a paranoid "christian" organization that still has stories about black helicopters, the "symbol of the beast," and the coming doomsday. What is scary is that Angus T. Jones stated that his is a fan of the organization and its ideas. Maybe someone from the Forerunner Chronicles needs to be the next one to come out and renounce the organization's crazy statements.
Update: So, after Charlie Sheen offered Angus a job on Anger Management, the producers of Two and a Half Men have taken Angus back for another season. CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler said “He apologized and we’ve moved on.” She added,“The kid
is 19 years old. I've got a 24-year-old. Between the ages of 19 and 24,
there's been plenty of things my kid has said that I wish he hadn't." I guess filth has its benefits.
I was sad to read about the loss of Larry Hagman (1931-2012) at the age of 81 from cancer. While many will remember him as J.R. on Dallas, my favorite role of his what that of the befuddled astronaut Major Anthony Nelson in I Dream of Jeannie. First broadcast in 1965, I Dream of Jeannie was part of prime time that included Bewitched, The Andy Griffith Show, The Lucy Show, and McHale's Navy. Television was quite different then and limited to basically three channels, but when I look at the line up of shows I somehow think we are missing something today.
The new Dallas will continue without Mr. Hagman, but one of its essential cornerstones is missing. And while I am not calling for a new I Dream of Jeannie (I know better since I expect the networks would flub it), it seems the Indians just recently created their own version of the show. Jeannie Aur Juju involves an airline captain who lands on a deserted island and finds a genie in a bottle.
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