WebProNews

Tag: Television

  • Netflix Expands Scholastic Partnership With ‘Clifford The Big Red Dog’

    Netflix and Scholastic announced an expansion of their partnership today giving Netflix exclusive streaming rights to the children’s favorite Clifford the Big Red Dog.

    The show will hit Netflix on February 14th, which just happens to be the same day as the new season of Netflix original House of Cards (which has become known for its dog murder).

    The partnership previously saw Netflix add shows like Goosebumps and The Magic School Bus.

    Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos said, “We are delighted to expand our relationship with Scholastic with the addition of Clifford, one of its most popular and timeless series. Globally recognized as the lovable role model that he is, Clifford is a great addition to our catalog of family-friendly TV shows.”

    “For more than 50 years, through books and television, Clifford has become the world’s most beloved and iconic dog,” said Deborah Forte, president of Scholastic Media and executive vice president of Scholastic Inc. ‘We’re thrilled that with Netflix, children and families can watch Clifford anytime and anywhere.”

    They’re actually turning this news into a big production. Netflix also announced that to celebrate the content addition, on February 14h, Clifford himself will close the NASDAQ MarketSite in New York.

    Netflix is reportedly to spend about $3 billion on television and film content this year.

    Image via PRNewswire

  • ‘House Of Cards’ Season 2 Gets A Lot More Dog Murder In This Parody

    The Unlikely Allies YouTube channel has released a new House of Cards: Season 2 parody, featuring an intro from executive producer fake David Fincher and fake Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, explaining how they used Season 1’s audience viewing habits to construct the second season.

    As you may know, House of Cards itself was conceived based on Netflix viewing habits. The company knew it could gain an audience thanks to data on Kevin Spacey films and political dramas, for example.

    “What was truly revolutionary was the platform,” explains fake David Fincher.

    “Releasing all the episodes at once on Netflix enabled us unprecedented access into our audience’s viewing habits,” says fake Hastings. “We know when they’re watching, for how long…we even know when they pause or rewind.”

    “And people overwhelmingly chose to repeat the scene in episode one where Frank Underwood murders a dog,” says fake Fincher.

    “And Netflix listened,” adds fake Hastings. “We ended up with a Season 2 that stayed true to the gritty political drama that was Season 1 while adding all the dog murder that our audiences apparently couldn’t get enough of.”

    Behold the dog murder-filled trailer for House of Cards Season 2:

    [via Sean Ireland]

    Image via YouTube

  • ‘House Of Cards’ Season 2 Has An Episode Directed By Robin Wright

    Actress Robin Wright, who recently won a Golden Globe for her role in Netflix’s House of Cards, will also went behind the camera for an episode of the upcoming season.

    The New York Times reports:

    The director of the tenth episode of the second season is, in fact, Ms. Wright. On camera since she was a teenager, she is for the first time calling the shots, and is deeply engaged by every aspect of the opportunity. Two nights later, she would accept the Golden Globe for best actress in a dramatic series, a shimmering silver gown draped over her lithe, elegant frame, her classic features beaming in surprise during her aw-shucks acceptance speech. But in the editing suite, she was barefoot in jeans, with glasses under a newsboy’s cap.

    Jodie Foster, who directed a popular episode of Netflix’s Orange is the New Black, also reportedly directed an episodes of House of Cards: Season 2.

    There should be some interesting directors’ commentaries for this season, if Netflix releases them like it did for Season 1.

    David Fincher, who directed the first two episodes of the first season, didn’t direct any of Season 2, which debuts on February 14th.

    Netflix just announced that it has renewed the show for a third season, which will begin production soon.

    Images via YouTube

  • Laura Prepon Will Be in ‘Most’ Of ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Season 2

    There have been a lot rumors about just how much more of Laura Prepon Orange is the New Black fans will see on the show. Apparently it’s not nearly as much of a concern as it was initially made out to be.

    The whole thing started last year when BuzzFeed said she was leaving the show, and would be back only to tie up her storyline. Later, they said she’d only be back for a single episode. Later still, they said she’d be back for four episodes.

    Now, US Weekly is quoting OITNB creator Jenji Kohan as saying that she’ll be back for “most” of the season.

    Her role on the show after that is unclear. What would really be the point in even trying to speculate after all this?

    We do know (based on words from Kohan both from the USWeekly report and past interviews) that the show is going to be moving away from focusing so much on the Piper and Alex (Taylor Schilling and Prepon) storyline, so it can spread some of the screen time to the rest of the cast.

    In October, Netflix revealed that OITNB was officially its most successful show, and has since said that viewership has spiked in recent months.

    Images via Instagram

  • ‘House Of Cards’ Season 3 Is Officially Happening

    If you’re getting comfortable in the House of Cards version of Washington, there’s good news. The show will be back for at least a third season.

    This time it’s actually official:

    There had been some question as to whether or not the show would be back for Season 3. For one thing, Netflix’s original deal was for two seasons, but then co-executive producer Rick Cleveland made comments at the Vancouver International Film Festival last year that the first two seasons were probably the only ones that would ever be produced, suggesting that Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright prefer to do movies over TV shows.

    However, Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos spoke at Film Independent’s annual confab in October, implying that we might see a third season after all.

    Of course we don’t know yet how things will unfold in Season 2, so I suppose there’s no guarantee that Spacey and Wright will be back, but could the show really go on without them?

    Update: Scratch that. It looks like both want to continue doing the show for a while.

    The second season will make its debut on February 14th.

    Image via Twitter

  • ‘Mako Mermaids’ Season 2 Production Vlogs Hit YouTube [Netflix Originals]

    The second season of Mako Mermaids, one of the less talked about “Netflix originals,” is currently in production. It began shooting in December.

    Fans (of which there are apparently plenty) may enjoy checking out these vlogs from the production, which recently hit YouTube.

    These are the first Mako videos to hit the Jonathan M. Shiff Productions YouTube channel since the famous Nixie “lobster test” scene.

    By the way, it looks like the first season is headed for DVD.

    Image via Netflix

  • Netflix Announces $400 Million Offering To Fuel Original Content Purchases, European Expansion

    Netflix announced on Tuesday that it intends to offer $400 million worth of senior notes due 2024, through an offering to qualified institutional buyers.

    Netflix says it intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for “general corporate purposes,” including capital expenditures, investments, working capital and potential acquisitions and strategic transactions.

    Variety is reporting that it will specifically use it for acquiring original content and expanding into Europe.

    Netflix is apparently looking to launch in France and Germany, as well as some other unspecified European markets soon.

    On its recent earnings call, Netflix indicated that original content will be an increasingly big part of its content spending pie.

    The offering is subject to market and other considerations, the company says, adding that the interest rate, redemption provisions and other terms of the Notes will be determined by negotiations between the company and the initial purchasers.

    Image: Netflix CFO David Wells via YouTube

  • Amy Poehler And SNL Cast Bid Farewell To Seth Meyers

    Amy Poehler and Bill Hader were joined by other Saturday Night Live cast members for special appearances on the most recent episode. As Seth Meyers performed his last ever show for the popular long-running series, his comedic colleagues congregated on screen to bid him adieu and wish him well.

    For Seth’s big sendoff, comedy queen Melissa McCarthy hosted the show for her third time, while the band Imagine Dragons performed as the musical guest. Even Fred Armisen showed up, reprising his impression of former N.Y. governor, David Patterson, and stumbling haphazardly through the frame at the final moment.

    Seth’s satirical news skit, Weekend Update, never fails to deliver and this weekend was definitely no different – despite the emotional undertone of the show. Then again, Bill Hader can turn any bit into comedic gold when he transforms into the brilliantly flamboyant “Stefon”.

    “Being out here with my coanchors, my dear friend and my ‘husband’,” Meyers jokingly said (gesturing toward Hader as Stefon), “has been the perfect way to end.” He went on to add, “This is the job I always wanted, and I had the best time.”

    As a 12 year veteran on Saturday Night Live, Meyers was second only to Darrell Hammond as the longest running cast member. During that time span, he became a featured player and teamed up with Amy Poehler for such sketches as Spy Glass, Little Sleuths, The Needlers, and The Weekend Update. Even when he wasn’t acting, Seth was still contributing to the show by way of the numerous clever sketches he would write. Eventually, he took Tina Fey’s role as head writer, and went on to write all the major Sarah Palin sketches in which she performed.

    Meyers’ off screen work has also gone beyond entertainment in that he’s given back to the community by supporting various charities. Some of the organizations to which he has contributed include: Amnesty International, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Forgotten Harvest, Memorial Sloan-Kettering, Mia Hamm Foundation, Natural Resources Defense Council, Somaly Mam Foundation, and Worldwide Orphans Foundation.

    While there’s sentimentality surrounding his milestone departure, Meyers will continue to grant the gift of giggles when he becomes the host of Late Night on Feb. 24.

    Image via Youtube

  • Netflix’s Sense8 Expected To Go On For Five Seasons

    Fans of Netflix’s Sense8 may be in for a solid five-year run of the show if it turns out to be in Netflix’s best interest.

    Obviously, the show doesn’t really have any fans yet since it’s not actually out yet, but if it does find a substantial audience (and there’s a pretty good chance it will), fans will be able to expect years of the show to come.

    In an interview with Zap2it, writer J. Michael Straczynski was asked if Sense8 is meant to have more than one season if that’s what Netflix wants.

    He responded, “We pitched it as a five-year story. We’ve mapped out five seasons of this thing, our actor deals are being made for five seasons, five or six depending on the breaks. So we imagined this over the long, long haul. The first season is the origin story for our characters and then we kind of go from there.”

    As long as things continue to go as well for Netflix with its originals as it has so far, it seems likely that the company will play this thing out for the full run. So far, they’ve been actively renewing their originals (none that we know of have been canceled yet). But the likelihood goes even further than that.

    Netflix goes out of its way to give shows conclusions. Even shows from other networks. As you may know, the company recently acquired the fourth and final season of AMC’s The Killing essentially so it could give the show a proper conclusion after AMC decided to cancel it prematurely.

    The reasoning is that it is in Netflix’s best interest for the shows it offers people to have conclusions. A show with an actual conclusion is worth more to the company simply because more people are likely to watch the show if it has one. Who wants to start something that they know doesn’t have an end (especially when there are already so many viewing options)?

    Now that doesn’t necessarily mean Netflix won’t force an earlier conclusion to Sense8 if things don’t work out as well as planned, but if a five-season story is what was pitched from the get go, that’s probably a good sign that Netflix is already expecting to be in this for the long haul.

    Sense8 comes from some big names in sci-fi with Straczynski as well as Andy and Lana Wachowski (of The Matrix fame) behind it. Straczynski is the guy who created Babylon 5. He’s also a longtime comic book writer. The point is these names alone have their built-in audiences. Sense8 will probably have to be a huge dud not to gain a substantial enough audience for Netflix to deem it not worthy of continuation.

    From the sound of it, it’s going to be an incredibly grand project. So far, they’re still in the writing phase, and a 2015 debut is looking more and more likely.

    Image via Netflix

  • Netflix’s Sense8 Is Still In The Writing Phase

    Things seem to be moving along fairly slowly with Sense8, the upcoming science fiction project at Netflix.

    Netflix announced the show back in March, 2013. The company indicated it would debut in late 2014. It’s not looking like that’s going to happen.

    Netflix said in a letter to investors attached to its quarterly earnings release that it is now scheduled for 2015.

    Writer J. Michael Straczynski gave an interview ti Zap2it, and indicated that they’re not even finished writing it yet, let alone shooting it (which sounds like will be a monumental task on its own).

    “In broad strokes, at this moment, we are almost done with all the scripts and the long process of refining all the different cultures we’re going to be using in the course of the show and making sure the scripts are just tight and really refined. The last scripts should be finalized by the end of [February],” he said. “We start shooting in late June, early July, starting with San Francisco. We’ll be shooting in a number of different countries — the U.S.; London; Berlin; Seoul, South Korea; Iceland; Mexico City; Nairobi and Mumbai, which is amazing.”

    “We’re in the process of prepping now, we have location scouts working overtime to find really good places locations for the shoot,” he added. “We have a casting director doing a bunch of casting now, holding auditions, narrowing down our possibilities. It’s going to be a big show and the cool thing about it is no one’s ever done this kind of thing before.”

    You can learn more about how ambitious the project is here. To give you an idea, Straczynski has said the Wachowskis (who are the co-creators of the project) are trying to do for television what they did for film with The Matrix.

    Straczynski still said Sense8 could debut in either 2014 or 2015, but it seems like the latter is much more likely.

    Image via Wikimeda Commons

  • Lorraine Bracco And Penny Marshall Will Play Lesbian Couple In New Show

    Big news is here for fans of television, and those that enjoy watching a star-studded cast. Lorraine Bracco is set to play the lesbian lover of a character that will be played by Penny Marshall in a new show.

    The two female icons in the film industry are heading to the small screen in an upcoming comedy. Bracco and Marshall will be added to the list of several film actors that have turned to the the medium of television, with hit TV shows in the past couple of years – including Kevin Bacon, Liev Schrieber, and Jeff Daniels, just to name a few.

    Lorraine Bracco and Penny Marshall have each acted in numerous films throughout their lengthy careers, but have not been involved in a project like this one before. Penny Marshall has also had experience as a director throughout her career, becoming one of the most successful female directors.

    The two actresses will play lovers in the new comedy that will air on Fox. The show is called Mulaney, and is based on the life of John Mulaney, who will also write and star in the show. Mulaney is a former writer for SNL, and the more well-known SNL writer, Lorne Michaels, is also attached to the project as an executive producer.

    The show will follow an aspiring comedian coming of age under the influence of his boss, his roommates and his neighbors. Lorraine Bracco and Penny Marshall will play a lesbian couple who are friends with Mulaney’s neighbor, Oscar.

    Oscar is played by veteran actor Elliot Gould, who many people remember as the father of Ross and Monica Geller on Friends, while Martin Short will also be joining the ensemble cast as Mulaney’s boss.

    Marshall has directed hit films such as Big, A League Of Their Own, and Jumpin Jack Flash. She also starred in, and directed select episodes of the television comedy Laverne And Shirley.

    Lorraine Bracco has been seen in multiple gangster roles throughout her career, often portraying their wives, with roles in both Goodfellas and The Sopranos. She received an Academy Award nomination for her role in Goodfellas, for her role as Karen Hill. Her recent TV credits also include I Married A Mobster and Rizzoli And Isles, playing Rizzoli’s mom.

    The new comedy Mulaney offers up a healthy dose of well-known actors, in addition to Lorraine Bracco and Penny Marshall, and is sure to be a big hit when it begins airing on Fox.

    Image via Youtube

  • ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Season 2 Set Photos: More From The Official Instagram Account

    Netflix’s Orange is the New Black: Season 2 appears to be getting closer to wrapping up shooting. As usual, the show’s official Instagram account has been sharing quite a few photos from the production. Here are some of the latest ones.

    There are plenty more where those came from.

    Last fall, Netflix said OITNB is its most successful show officially. Since then, it has won a People’s Choice Award, beating out its Netflix peers House of Cards and Arrested Development, for best streaming series. Star Taylor Schilling was also nominated for a Golden Globe.

    According to Netflix, the awards season has led to significant spikes in viewership for both House of Cards and OITNB. That means that even more people are undoubtedly, anxiously awaiting OITNB: Season 2.

    No release date has been announced so far.

    Images via Instagram

  • Netflix Gets ‘Bates Motel’ Season 1

    Netflix Gets ‘Bates Motel’ Season 1

    Netflix frequently makes headlines for its original shows, but also continues to add more non-originals to its line-up as well.

    We’ve learned that Netflix is about to add the first season of A&E’s Bates Motel to its streaming catalog.

    The show debuted last year, and was renewed for a second season, which premieres on A&E in March. Netflix subscribers who have yet to check it out can get caught up in the meantime, as Season 1 will be available on Friday.

    Here’s the description as Netflix presents it:

    Everyone knows what happened in Psycho, but this chilling series takes viewers inside Norman Bates’ world before Marion Crane checked in. The story opens following Mr. Bates’ death, as Norman and his mother buy the motel that will bear their name.

    The shows stars Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore.

    Here’s a look at more titles Netflix is getting ready to add.

    Image via YouTube

  • Here’s What’s About To Hit Netflix

    As you know, content comes and goes on Netflix. Each week, we’re bringing you a list of titles that you’ll be able to stream in the U.S. in the coming days.

    We’re entering February, and you know what that means. House of Cards: Season 2 is just a couple weeks away. In the meantime, Netflix is adding a whole bunch of new titles, and in them, it just so happens that you’ll find Frank and Claire Underwood (in The Usual Suspects and Adore respectively). Along with other movies (like Airplane, The Naked Gun and Marathon Man), you’ll also find some more TV content like Bates Motel and Queer As Folk (the entire series).

    Here’s what’s about to hit Netflix (is it safe?).

    Available on 2/1:

    Airplane! (1980)

    Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Lloyd Bridges, Leslie Nielsen, Peter Graves, Robert Stack

    In this classic, joke-a-second parody of disaster movies, traumatized former combat pilot Ted Striker, an airplane passenger, is forced to land the plane when food poisoning strikes the crew and there’s no one else on board who can do the job.

    Airplane II: The Sequel (1982)

    Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Lloyd Bridges, Chad Everett, Peter Graves

    In this sequel to the wildly popular farce Airplane!, pilot Ted Striker (Robert Hays) knows that the first commercial spaceflight to the moon is headed for disaster. Fighting his fears, he races to save the passengers and win back his ex-girlfriend (Julie Hagerty). Lloyd Bridges reprises his role as the chain-smoking, amphetamine-popping, glue-sniffing airport controller, while William Shatner, Raymond Burr and Sonny Bono are among those on board.

    Bates Motel: Season 1

    Everyone knows what happened in Psycho, but this chilling series takes viewers inside Norman Bates’ world before Marion Crane checked in. The story opens following Mr. Bates’ death, as Norman and his mother buy the motel that will bear their name.

    Failure to Launch (2006)

    Matthew McConaughey, Sarah Jessica Parker, Zooey Deschanel, Justin Bartha, Bradley Cooper

    In a desperate attempt to push their thirtysomething son Tripp out of the nest, a frustrated mother and father hire a beautiful “relationship consultant” with a patented plan to move him out of the house.

    Flashdance (1983)

    Jennifer Beals, Michael Nouri, Lilia Skala, Sunny Johnson, Kyle T. Heffner

    Alex works as a welder by day and a stripper by night, but she dreams of training at the local conservatory and becoming a professional dancer. Meanwhile, she navigates a romance with her boss at the steelyard.

    Harold and Maude (1971)

    Ruth Gordon, Bud Cort, Vivian Pickles, Cyril Cusack, Charles Tyner, Ellen Geer

    Hounded by his mother to get out and date, death-obsessed teen Harold would rather attend funerals. But when he meets the feisty Maude, a geriatric widow who’s high on life, they form a bond that turns into an unconventional romance.

    Heartbreakers (2001)

    Sigourney Weaver, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ray Liotta, Jason Lee, Gene Hackman, Zach Galifianakis

    In this stylish comedy, a mother-daughter con team makes money the old-fashioned way: They swindle it. After Mom seduces and weds a love-struck bachelor, she scams him for a big divorce settlement — with help from her daughter as “the other woman.”

    Leap of Faith (1992)

    Steve Martin, Debra Winger, Lolita Davidovich, Liam Neeson, Lukas Haas, Meat Loaf, Philip Seymour Hoffman

    The Rev. Jonas Nightingale uses his spiritual influence for financial gain, lining his pockets with the faith of generous believers he encounters as a traveling evangelist. When he gets stranded in a small town, Jonas falls for an affirmed skeptic.

    Marathon Man (1976)

    Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Olivier, Roy Scheider, William Devane, Fritz Weaver

    When his CIA agent brother (Roy Scheider) is killed, graduate student Babe Levy (Dustin Hoffman) finds himself trapped in a deadly game with a Nazi fugitive (Laurence Olivier), a sadist who uses dental instruments as tools of torture in this Oscar-nominated film based on William Goldman’s novel. As Levy turns from pacifist to street-smart cynic, director John Schlesinger’s thriller barrels toward its fever-pitched conclusion.

    Patriot Games (1992)

    Harrison Ford, Anne Archer, Patrick Bergin, Sean Bean, Thora Birch, James Fox, Samuel L. Jackson

    CIA desk jockey Jack Ryan plunges into the heart of international terrorism after spoiling an assassination attempt on a British royal family member. Ryan’s heroics earn him noble gratitude — and a death warrant from the Irish Republican Army.

    Queer as Folk: The Complete Series

    The lives and loves of five gay men living in Pittsburgh provide the drama in this American edition of the acclaimed British series. Amid the usual ups and downs of relationships, the friends grapple with everything from health issues to politics.

    Sunset Boulevard (1950)

    William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stroheim, Nancy Olson, Fred Clark

    Running from debt collectors, screenwriter Joe Gillis stumbles upon the crumbling mansion of former silent-film star Norma Desmond. As he begins penning a comeback screenplay for her, their professional relationship evolves into something more.

    The Borgias: Seasons 1-3

    Oscar-winning director Neil Jordan helms this lavish period drama series about the notorious Borgia family, a clan headed by plotting patriarch Rodrigo, who will stop at nothing to become pope, and his beautiful but treacherous daughter, Lucrezia.

    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

    Eli Wallach, Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Aldo Giuffre, Luigi Pistilli, Mario Brega

    While the Civil War rages between the Union and the Confederacy, a quiet loner, a ruthless hit man and a Mexican bandit comb the American Southwest in search of a strongbox containing $200,000 in stolen gold.

    The Naked Gun (1988)

    Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, Ricardo Montalban, George Kennedy, O.J. Simpson

    While seeking his partner’s ruthless killer, incredibly thick police officer Frank Drebin finds an equally dim-witted love interest and stumbles upon on a sordid plot to off Queen Elizabeth.

    The Usual Suspects (1995)

    Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Pollak, Chazz Palminteri, Benicio Del Toro

    When five unacquainted crooks are hauled into a police station to appear in a criminal lineup, they decide to pull off a heist together. The plan gets complicated, however, when they intermix with an underworld kingpin named Keyser Söze.

    Usual Suspects

    Available on 2/3:

    Adore (2013)

    Naomi Watts, Robin Wright, Xavier Samuel, James Frecheville, Ben Mendelsohn

    In this seaside drama adapted from a novella by Nobel Prize winner Doris Lessing, two lifelong friends who fall in love with each other’s teenage sons must carry out their affairs in relative secrecy.

    The Fabulous Ice Age (2014)

    For decades, American touring ice shows dominated family entertainment with their dazzling production and variety acts. This documentary honors them through interviews and archival footage, and depicts one skater’s quest to keep this history alive.

    Available on 2/4:

    The History of the WWE (2013)

    This 50-year retrospective chronicles the evolution of the WWE from a small, regional promotion into a worldwide phenomenon. With new interviews from several key personalities past and present, get the inside story behind each WWE era.

    Available on 2/5:

    Brother Bear (2003)

    Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Suarez, Jason Raize, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas

    In this animated tale, the brother of an Indian brave killed by a bear vows revenge but is transformed by the Great Spirits into the very thing he sought to slay. As he attempts to regain human form, he begins to see the world from a new viewpoint.

    Zombie Night (2013)

    Anthony Michael Hall, Daryl Hannah, Alan Ruck, Rachel G. Fox, Shirley Jones

    As night falls in a small California town, the dead rise from their graves and go looking to feast on the flesh of the living. Two families band together to face a long night of terror, fighting to survive until sunrise.

    Available on 2/6:

    30 for 30: The Price of Gold (2014)

    “The Price of Gold” takes a fresh look at the scandal surrounding figure skater Tonya Harding’s involvement with the attack on competitor Nancy Kerrigan prior to the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer.

    See more recently added titles here.

    Images via YouTube

  • “Seinfeld” Reunion: The Cast Is Back Together For A New Project

    After having a popular sitcom for many years that is still a beloved treasure to many people, the cast will be getting back together and having a Seinfeld reunion.

    The cast members of Seinfeld have all gone their separate ways since the end of the show in 1998, but as a group of people that worked together for nine seasons, they have continued to remain close friends.

    It still has not been revealed what the new project will be about, but rumors started swirling around after Jerry Seinfeld and Jason Alexander were seen outside of Tom’s Restaurant, along with Larry David.

    The restaurant was used on the the Seinfeld set for Monk’s Cafe, which was a frequented location for Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer.

    People started talking about a possible Seinfeld reunion immediately, and now the news has been officially confirmed, although a small amount of details about the project have been released. Some people thought that it could be for a Super Bowl commercial or for Seinfeld’s web series.

    Both of those rumors have been shut down, although fans have not learned much else yet. In a recent interview where he denied that the Seinfeld reunion would be either of those things, Jerry Seinfeld said “But, it is not not those things, either. It’s a secret project. I gave you more now than I’ve given anyone. I told you what it isn’t, and then I also told you that it isn’t not that either.”

    He said that it was a film project, and that other Seinfeld cast members were involved, adding that Jason Alexander will be playing George. The project has been described as “one-and-done,” and Jerry promises that fans will be able to see it “very, very soon.”

    Larry David, who was the creator and executive producer of Seinfeld, is also set to have a part in the upcoming Seinfeld reunion, although he will not be seen on camera. Since leaving Seinfeld, David has enjoyed great success with his HBO show Curb Your Enthusiasm.

    As fans wait in anticipation, the Seinfeld reunion is getting closer, and the big fans are likely to be creating a ton of buzz with this news. What does everyone think the reunion will consist of?

    Image via Youtube

  • Dianne Wiest Is Set To Appear On “The Blacklist”

    After a long career in film, including being an Oscar winner, Dianne Wiest is heading to the small screen again for an episode of The Blacklist. She joins a group of high-caliber actors that have already appeared as guests on the show.

    The Blacklist is a show that premiered on NBC last fall, and stars James Spader as a former government agent who has been able to avoid being captured for decades.

    The show starts out with him suddenly surrendering to the FBI with an offer to help catch a terrorist, under the condition that he speaks only to Liz, a young profiler just out of Quantico.

    Dianne Wiest has landed a guest-starring role, and the news was originally announced by Megan Boone over Twitter, who plays Liz on the show.

    When she appears as a guest star on The Blacklist, she will play the kind, sympathetic head of Amnesty United, an organization that fights against the death penalty.

    In addition to the several films that Dianne Wiest did with Woody Allen, she has been seen in several other films such as Edward Scissorhands, Stepmom, and I Am Sam. Her previous television credits include Law And Order and In Treatment, which she earned an Emmy for.

    She won her two Academy Awards for Bullets Over Broadway and Hannah And Her Sisters, both of which were written and directed by Woody Allen.

    Wiest is set to appear in the 15th episode of The Blacklist, an episode titled “The Judge,” and will be the second episode that is aired after the show returns from its hiatus. Along with several other shows, The Blacklist has been off for an extended period of time, and will not return until after the Winter Olympics are over, which are being held in Sochi this year.

    The Blacklist has already welcomed A-list stars to the show such as Alan Alda and Isabella Rosselini, and will round out their run of big-time actors with Dianne Wiest’s performance on the show in episode 15.

    Image via Youtube

  • Netflix Introduces The ‘Get Fit With Netflix’ Workout

    Netflix has uploaded a series of videos showing you how to work out while you watch Netflix. They’ve enlisted fitness expert Niki Wibrow to demonstrate.

    “The great thing about Netflix is that it can fit around you and your lifestyle, so I’ve devised a workout or a few workouts that you can do at home – in the comfort of your own home – while you watch your favorite programs,” she says.

    These include different intensities, different lengths ranging from 30 – 50 minutes.

    Here, Wibrow demonstrates warming up to Prison Break.

    Here’s an upper body workout to Breaking Bad:

    Here’s how to work on your core to House of Cards:

    Just in time for Season 2!

    Or you can always work on your back to The Good Wife (though you’re going to have to go the DVD route if you’re in the U.S.):

    Finally, the Orange is the New Black leg routine:

    The “WTF” comments are rolling in on YouTube.

    Image via YouTube

  • ‘House Of Cards’ Season 2 Gets An Early Review

    We have just over two more weeks until Netflix releases House of Cards: Season 2, which will debut on February 14th. Fans have been waiting for a year, which has seemed like an eternity, to see what happens with the Underwoods and their friends (and enemies). Soon they will have to wait no longer (until they watch the entire season in one weekend and have to wait another year).

    Unfortunately, we don’t have early access to the season, but Variety TV columnist Brian Lowry was able to get a glimpse at the first four episodes, which he deems “a winning hand.”

    He begins, “The first season of ‘House of Cards’ achieved the dual feat of instantly emerging as a first-rate drama while simultaneously being seriously overrated – riding the ‘Netflix reinvents TV’ angle and juicy inside-the-Beltway bits to front-page coverage. No fools they, season two generally proceeds with more of the same, exhibiting a show with abundant strengths – foremost among them Kevin Spacey’s showy performance as an unscrupulous politician – but also underplayed weaknesses, including a continuing failure to present its scheming protagonist with equally matched foes. Dense and smart, ‘Cards’ is still partially skating by on reputation – and for Netflix’s purposes, that’s good enough.”

    Just to give you a little context regarding the reviewer, Lowry said this of the first season last year: “The Kevin Spacey vehicle isn’t without some annoying tics, and feels a little late boarding the bandwagon of projects with Washington politics as a backdrop,” but went on to say other, more positive things about it.

    I’ll let you read the rest of his Season 2 review at Variety, but suffice it to say, I still feel fairly confident that we’ll get another entertaining season of Netflix’s flagship original series. The trailers have helped with that confidence too.

    By the way, the House of Cards Tumblr has put up a couple more of those cinemagraphs:

    House of Cards

    House of cards

    Lead image via Tumblr

  • Yahoo’s IntoNow Shuts Down

    Yahoo is shutting down IntoNow, the TV app it acquired a few years back. The technology will live on in various Yahoo-branded offerings, but as a stand alone app, Into Now is no more.

    Or as Into Now itself puts it, “We’re out like Walter White.”

    The app’s homepage now displays the following message:

    As part of our ongoing efforts to sharpen our focus, IntoNow will no longer be available for download in iTunes or Google Play as of January 24, 2014. Additionally, as of 3/31 the IntoNow app will no longer operate. The core IntoNow technology will live on through other products and apps, like Yahoo Smart TV and the new Loops feature in the Yahoo Sports iOS7 app. If you’re interested in a history of your watched shows, send an email to [email protected]. Thank you for your support!

    The app appears to have already been pulled from both app stores.

    [via TechCrunch]

    Image via IntoNow

  • ‘House Of Cards’ Season 2 Gets More Cinemagraphs

    Earlier this month, House of Cards showrunner Beau Willimon told fans that a “slew” of new cinemagraph GIFs for Season 2 were on the way. He shared the first one featuring Kevin Spacey at the time:

    House of Cards Season 2

    Since then, more have emerged on the House of Cards Tumblr. Here are the ones they have up so far.

    House of Cards

    House of Cards

    House of Cards Season 2

    House of Cards Season 2

    Season 2 is set to premiere on February 14h (it won’t be long now). Watch the latest trailer here.

    Images via Tumblr

  • Shonda Rhimes: Her Diversity Award Makes Her Angry

    Make no mistake: Shonda Rhimes is very happy to be receiving her Diversity Award. The honor comes by way of the Directors Guild of America Awards, which were held on Saturday evening in Los Angeles, CA.

    “When I heard I was getting a Diversity Award, I was really, truly, profoundly honored.”

    She said that she “began to get calls from Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, etc.”, all asking for her to comment on the award. Although she and Scandal Executive Producer Betsy Beers were glad to receive the honor, Shonda Rhimes felt another emotion that others may not have anticipated.

    She was angry.

    “While I’m still really and truly profoundly honored to receive this award, but I was also a little pissed off. So was Betsy. So over many, many, many bottles of wine we discussed this.”

    Rhimes explains that the anger stems from the fact that there even has to be an award in the first place.

    “Like, there’s such a lack of people hiring women and minorities that when someone does it on a regular basis, they are given an award.”

    Diversity remains a huge problem in the movie and television industries, as many products remain noticeably absent of minorities or suffer a lack of good leading roles for women actresses.

    Rhimes has been instrumental with bringing about change with shows like “Grey’s Anatomy”, “Private Practice”, and most recently the highly popular “Scandal“.

    In fact the success of Scandal on ABC may have helped influence networks to invest in shows featuring diverse casting. FOX seems to be taking the call for diversification most seriously, with shows like the wildly successful “Sleepy Hollow” and Golden Globe winning “Brooklyn 99” standing out for having noticeably ethnically diverse casts.

    Though the Domino effect may be happening, more work needs to be done to open up all areas of entertainment to people based on their talents rather than limiting them based on race, gender, or other forms of bigotry.

    Rhimes raises an important point, but didn’t want anyone to be mistaken in thinking she’s ungracious. Rhimes is, “proud that the DGA recognizes a problem and are trying to fix it.”

    “The DGA, by the way, is the only Guild giving out this type of award in an attempt to draw attention to the problem, which I think is kind of badass.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons