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  • ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Season 2: Red Says We’ll Find Out Why Nobody Will Mess With Her Gravy Again

    ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Season 2: Red Says We’ll Find Out Why Nobody Will Mess With Her Gravy Again

    As the Orange is the New Black buzz continues, cast members continue to talk about the show, and tease fans about what they might get to see on the already much-anticipated Season 2.

    LA Weekly posted an extensive Q&A with actress Kate Mulgrew, who plays Red on the show. As we’ve seen with various other cast interviews since Season 2 began filming, the conversation inevitably turns to what’s going to happen in the second season.

    If you’re concerned with season one spoilers, stop reading now.

    So far, Dascha Polanco, who plays Dayanara Diaz, has indicated that she doesn’t know if her character is really pregnant – a plot point which will surely be addressed in the upcoming season – and Pablo Schreiber, who plays Pornstache, has said we can assume we’ll be seeing more of him next season (as if there were any doubt).

    (image)

    Orange is the New Black37 days ago

    Powered by socialditto(image)  262 likes ·  27 comments

    LA Weekly asked Mulgrew if Red has a plan for preventing anyone from doing anything like tainting her gravy (as we saw in season 1) again.

    “I’m sure she does,” Mulgrew responded. “But I can’t share that with you. [laughs] Nobody will EVER [taint] my gravy again. For a multitude of reasons, which you will find out later on. You will find out everything in the second season.”

    She also notes that she grew her hair out between shooting season 1 and the start of season 2 production, though she wouldn’t say anything about whether her look will change on the show.

    When LA Weekly asked her what entrée plans Red has when she’s running the kitchen again, Mulgrew responded, “She’s going to find that elusive chicken [that Piper spotted in the prison yard]. And she is going to make Chicken Kiev and it’s going to be the only silent scene ever shot for Orange Is the New Black because the women are going to be so dazzled, so overcome with pleasure, that they’re just going to eat the Chicken Kiev in absolute blissful silence. That’s my dream.”

    Okay, so no real spoilers from any of the cast member so far, which is good. Would you really want them? Just enough chatter to make us consider the possibilities. We’ll probably be considering them for a while, as the show will not return until an unspecified date next year.

  • Stephen Colbert and Hugh Laurie “Bring it” to Broadcast TV

    Drop a challenge? Leave it up to funny man pundit Stephen Colbert to lay down a gauntlet.

    During an episode of the Colbert Report, a popular late-night cable show, he paired up with British actor Sir Hugh Laurie for an airing that was anything but typical.

    An appeal for a broader interpretation of television’s indecency standards by multiple broadcast networks prompted Colbert to dish up his own bawdy brand of comedy in response. He, along with Laurie, with much dramatic air, spoke aloud phrases such as “nutsack” and “cooch juice”; seemingly labeled too “hot” for broadcast television. ABC, CBS and NBC, television’s broadcast “trinity,” say that under the current standards, they cannot maintain the level of viewership enjoyed by powerhouses’ such as Viacom.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L4JnmCScSE
    It wasn’t the first time Colbert was reported as upsetting the boundaries acceptability. According to FCC reports, there have been more than a dozen complaints for indecency levied against the Colbert Report and the late-night talk show host. One report, submitted by phone to the FCC in 2008 says an episode of the Colbert Report advocates racist violence.

    “The Colbert Report featured Toby Keith as a guest star. Toby Keith performed a racist song that advocates lynching. The song includes the following lyrics: ‘Grandpappy told my pappy back in my day, son A man had to answer for the wicked that he’d done. Take all the rope in Texas Find a tall oak tree, round up all of them bad boys Hang them high in the street For all the people to see’ The violent, racist history of the southern U.S. is nothing to be proud of. This blatant advocation of lynching is highly offensive and has no place on the air.”

    Another FCC complaint characterized the Colbert Report as promoting necrophilia.

    “Colbert did a report about a new exhibit dedicated solely to dead bodies having sex as part of the Body Worlds exhibitions. Onscreen for several minutes was a photo of one of the displays from the exhibit featuring the dead bodies of a man and a woman having sex. The woman was seated upright on top of the man. I was not happy to have my teenage son see this.”

    When responding to broadcast networks’ “cultural appeal” for freedom, Colbert taunted with a biting wit.

    “ You can whack my bag anytime.”

  • Movie Should Be Next For ‘Arrested Development’ If Fox Lets It Happen

    It’s looking more and more like the plan for the next chapter of Arrested Development is a movie before a fifth season.

    A couple weeks ago, creator Mitch Hurwitz and Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos engaged in a Q&A at the Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal. There, Hurwitz was asked if the show would be returning. His response was “definitely.”

    Chortle recapped the conversation, including this quote from Hurwitz:

    ‘I keep thinking about it, and why don’t we do the movie version of this and then do the series, because this series kinda peaks with the story?…I kinda go back and forth between that and a series. But here’s the most important thing, whatever we do, I want to get the cast all together and not do another anthology thing, and that’s why I keep thinking about kicking off with a special or a three-part show and then going into a series.

    Empire spoke with Hurwitz for about a half hour in their podcast, in which he spoke about the possibilities, and it sounds like a movie is what we’re most likely going to see next. A movie for Netflix, that is. But the ball is apparently in Fox’s court.

    “I think if we do a movie it would probably be with Netflix as some kind of partner,” he says. “I love those guys. I really do. I never had an experience like this…”

    It would be interesting to see if this would become a theatrical release or would be simply only available to Netflix subscribers.

    Regarding the movie, Hurwitz says, “It’s not definite because it’s not my decision to be…you know, it would be like me saying, ‘I’m definitely going to make a James Bond sequel. I may want to, but other people get to weigh in on that, but I definitely have a plan to in my own brain, and I know the cast is game, and I think Netflix would probably be game…but you know, FOX owns it, so it’s kind of their call…notice how I’m not making a joke at their expense right now? That’s why!”

    “One of the reasons I want to do a movie next is because we’ve gotta have all the characters together,” he says. “I mean, by the nature of the story, and the fact that the actors all have other gigs we had to do this kind of separated anthology idea, but from here on in, it’s like the family comes together.”

    Regarding season 4, Hurwitz says, “I think it’s been a big success for Netflix. They don’t share those numbers, but I think it’s been very, very successful for them, but I don’t know. It’s certainly been successful with people who found it successful.”

    Hurwitz notes during the interview that Sarandos is a “funny guy,” and that when the two of them do panels together, Sarandos usually gets the big laugh. “So, he’s kind of an asshole that way,” Hurwitz joked. “No, he’s a wonderful guy, and they took all sorts of risks with the show, and they embraced it and encouraged it.”

    He also mentions that there wasn’t more Buster in the fourth season because HBO wouldn’t let them have him (actor Tony Hale is in the HBO show, Veep).

    Season 4 has earned three Emmy nominations.

  • “Real Housewives” star facing 50 Years in Prison

    Federal fraud. Tax evasion. Jail. It’s the real-life reality for one of television’s most infamous “hotty” housewives. Some law enforcement officials say years of real-life prison time could possibly await her.

    “Teresa and Giuseppe ‘Joe’ Giudice have been indicted on federal charges of bank and bankruptcy fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman.”

    Known for her outlandish antics on the popular TV series “Real Housewives of New Jersey, “ Teresa Giudice says she’s being essentially victimized by the law because of her fame. In an interview with People Magazine, her lawyer, Henry Klingman  says he concurs.

    “She’s certainly being targeted because of her celebrity,” Klingeman said. “The government frequently targets high-profile people to draw attention to their prosecutorial efforts. It’s especially happening here.”

    Not everyone agrees with Klingeman’s claims. According to IRS special agent Shantelle Kitchen, the Giudices’ are also being charged with tax evasion and should be held culpable just like anyone else of equal paygrade.

    “The privilege of living well in the United States carries certain real responsibilities, including filing tax returns when required and paying the correct amount of tax,” said Kitchen. “Today’s indictment alleges the Giudices did not live up to their responsibilities by failing to file tax returns, falsifying loan applications and concealing assets in their bankruptcy petition. The reality is that this type of criminal conduct will not go undetected and individuals who engage in this type of financial fraud should know they will be held accountable.”

    With a 39-count indictment looming, the Giudices have been reportedly ordered to hand over their passports pending the outcome of a hearing next month. They may also have to stay New Jersey state limits.

    “About me not being able to leave NJ & NY don’t believe the rumors out there. Most things people saying just aren’t true,” Teresa Giudice said. “I’ll be at Pangea in Hollywood, Florida this Saturday.”

    “See you in Florida,” she said.

  • Wow, Look Who Auditioned For Dwight On ‘The Office’

    A segment of audition footage from The Office has made its way to the web. It’s apparently going to be included on an upcoming Blu-ray release, but the video is already going viral.

    Seth Rogen auditioned for Dwight, John Cho and Adam Scott both auditioned for Jim, Kathryn Hahn aditioned for Pam, Eric Stonestreet auditioned for Kevin and Bob Odenkirk auditioned for Michael Scott.

    How different the show could have been.

  • Breaking Bad Finally Gets Its Honest Trailer

    The “Honest Trailers” from Screen Junkies are always fun, and with the final episodes of Breaking Bad soon to debut, what better time for the two series to meet?

    I’m pretty sure there’s an F word in the pilot though, if you don’t watch it on TV.

  • Orange Is The New Black Season 2: ‘Pornstache’ Should Be Back

    Season 2 of Netflix’s much-talked-about Orange is the New Black is currently in the filming stage. It began last week. Meanwhile, many of the cast members are doing interviews with various media outlets.

    Typically, these actors and actresses discuss what it’s been like working on the show, and things of that nature, but sometimes the interviewers try to drag out hints about the forthcoming season. It will likely be the better part of a year before we actually get to see Season 2, so there’s plenty of time to get a general sense of where it might be going before we actually get to find out for sure.

    So far, (MINOR SPOILER) we’ve learned that Daya (played by Dascha Polanco) could be pregnant, or could be “just sick with the flu”.

    Okay, that really just brings up more questions than answers, but at least it’s something to think about.

    Now, Yahoo TV has interviewed Pablo Schreiber, who plays Pornstache. Toward the end of the interview, the discussion briefly turns toward the second season.

    (image)

    Orange is the New Black14 days ago

    That stache means business. #OITNB

    Powered by socialditto(image)  1,000+ likes ·  238 comments

    Here’s the relevant part of the Q&A:

    His storyline is left up in the air at the end of the season. Can we assume we will see him in Season 2?

    I think you can assume you will see him. Beyond that, I can’t really speak about what will happen to Pornstache and everybody else.

    Given that filming has already started, it seems likely that he’d know if he wasn’t going to be included. He appears to be one of the fan favorites as well (at least in a “love to hate” sense), so a lot of fans would no doubt be pretty disappointed if he didn’t return.

    I don’t know why there would be much doubt about his return, but in case you’re worried, I wouldn’t be.

    Here’s an interesting update for you:

    Make of that what you will.

  • ‘Sons Of Anarchy’ Gets The Sesame Street Treatment

    Sons of Anarchy has been in the news this week as the first episode of the upcoming season has been drawing attention for a controversial scene. Where there’s controversy, there’s almost always…Sesame Street?

    Well, why not? They’ve tackled Mad Men, True Blood and Miami Vice. Why not Sons?

    The bit comes in the form of a parody called Sons of Poetry, and it just hit the Sesame Street YouTube channel:

    Here’s the description:

    Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet and I love… What rymes with blue? Sons of Poetry put their helmets together to find the perfect rhyme for this romantic and elegant poem!

    The new season of Sesame Street begins September 16th on PBSKids, just six days after the season premiere of Sons of Anarchy.

  • Netflix’s ‘House Of Cards’ Wins Nothing At TCA Awards

    Netflix’s House of Cards may be nominated for nine Emmys, and be eligible for the Directors Guild awards, but it didn’t win anything at the Television Critics Association awards this past weekend.

    The show, which has been the subject of a great deal of critical acclaim since premiering on Netflix in February, was up for the awards for Outstanding New Program and Program of the Year. It lost to FX’s The Americans and AMC’s Breaking Bad respectively.

    While the show won’t be competing much with The Americans for the Emmys, it is up against Breaking Bad for multiple categories.

    Here’s the list of winners from the TCA awards:

    Individual Achievement in Drama: Tatiana Maslany (“Orphan Black,” BBC America)
    Individual Achievement in Comedy: Louis C.K. (“Louie,” FX)
    Outstanding Achievement in News and Information: “The Central Park Five” (PBS)
    Outstanding Achievement in Reality Programming: “Shark Tank” (ABC)
    Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming: “Bunheads” (ABC Family)
    Outstanding New Program: “The Americans” (FX)
    Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials: “Behind the Candelabra” (HBO)
    Outstanding Achievement in Drama: “Game of Thrones” (HBO)
    Outstanding Achievement in Comedy: (Tie) “The Big Bang Theory” (CBS) and “Parks and Recreation” (NBC).
    Career Achievement Award:Barbara Walters (ABC)
    Heritage Award: “All in the Family” (CBS)
    Program of the Year: “Breaking Bad” (AMC)

    House of Cards Season 2 has already been filming, and is due out in 2014.

    [via Deadline]

  • Crazy Eyes From ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Gets Weird Tribute From ‘Breaking Bad’ Rapper

    A guy going by the name MC Coolwhip has apparently printed out a whole bunch of copies of a picture of Crazy Eyes from Netflix’s Orange is the New Black, and hung them all over his sister’s room.

    We know this because he tweeted as much:

    Then Piper Kerman, who wrote the book on which Orange is the New Black is based shared it with actress Uzo Aduba, who plays Crazy Eyes.

    Aduba responded:

    If you’re not intrigued by MC Coolwhip yet, you might be interested in knowing that he has three songs up on his site, and they’re all based on characters from Breaking Bad (Skyler, Jesse and Heisenberg). These are part of an EP called Breaking Doom, which is described as “Breaking bad lyrics over MF DOOM beats”.

    Here you go:

    Aduba and Kerman appeared with some of Orange is the New Black’s other cast member on MSNBC this weekend to talk about the show, stereotypes and real-life prisons. You can see some clips from that here.

  • Hemlock Grove Season 2 Gets Ready For Production

    Update: Hemlock Grove production designer Drew Boughton tells WebPronews, “No filming has started yet, we are just starting to set up production for season 2. We are all incredibly excited to get back into the world of Hemlock Grove!” Emphasis added.

    A Netflix spokesperson says, “They haven’t started production nor do they start this week…We are not starting production, nor have we started.”

    Original article begins: It appears that Hemlock Grove Season 2 has either begun production or is getting ready to.

    Production Designer Drew Boughton, who worked on the first season (he also worked with Eli Roth on The Man with the Iron Fists), tweeted this out last night:

    This would lead one to believe that production is either underway, or will be very soon.

    Netflix announced in June that it has renewed the show for a second season, and that it will debut sometime in 2014. The first season debuted in April, so it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect the second season to debut around the same time next year.

    Executive Producer Eli Roth said upon the show’s renewal, “The worldwide fan response to ‘Hemlock Grove’ was phenomenal. Netflix members loved the potent combination of sexy monsters, mystery, and the dark family soap opera that ended with a huge twist, leaving audiences worldwide totally shocked. Season One was just a warm up for what we have in store for season two. Get ready to be scared in ways you never expected.”

    Roth spoke to The Hollywood Reporter back in April, and has this to say regarding the second season:

    Eli Roth: We have the story ideas for season two, but everybody right now is focusing on making season one a success before Netflix gives us the go head for season two. But we definitely have the ideas.

    THR: So you know where the story is going?

    Eli Roth: Yes, and that was part of the pitch when we gave them season one. As much as I think Twin Peaks is my favorite show of all time, you can tell they never intended to solve Laura Palmer’s murder. I’ve talked about this to David Lynch and the network made him do it. And after that happened, they had to figure out a new mythology. We wanted to make sure that we had a long-term mythology that the murder at the beginning kicks off, and the murder is an excuse to dive into the world of this town of Hemlock Grove. Once that murder is solved, which it is, it opens up a much larger mythology that gets played out over several seasons. We wanted to write something that would be deep and that would give the fans something that’s worthwhile to dig into.

    Gaumont International, the studio behind the show, just appointed three new executives at its LA office, including Carol Trussell, who has worked on True Blood and Gaumont’s Hannibal,. Trussell will serve as head of production, and will oversee Hemlock Grove for Netflix, according to Variety.

    We’ve reached out to Boughton, Netflix and Gaumont for confirmation and/or additional details regarding production of the next season. We’ll update if we hear back.

    Hemlock Grove Season 2 will have ten episodes – a few less than the the thirteen-episode first season. The show is currently up for two Emmys.

  • ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Season 2 May Or May Not Include A Pregnant Inmate

    If you’re still working on watching the first season or plan on watching it, you might want to avoid reading further for spoiler reasons, though it’s really only kind of a spoiler since we still don’t really know which way the story is going to go.

    Netflix’s semi-new show Orange is the New Black has quickly created a great deal of buzz on the Internet (including search traffic). Many have already run through the entire first season and are thirsty for more. Luckily, Netflix announced before the first season even debuted that it would be returning in 2014 for another season.

    I would imagine that we’ll be picking up details about the forthcoming season here and there as production progresses, but little is known at this point.

    Dascha Polanco, who plays Dayanara Diaz on the show spoke with Vulture about drawing penises, Johnny Depp and her experiences working on the show.

    (image)

    Orange is the New Black27 days ago

    Looking for love in all the wrong places got Daya into Litchfield in the first place. She can thank her mom for that – conveniently, she’s just a few bunks over. #OITNB #Netflix

    Powered by socialditto(image)  357 likes ·  53 comments

    Buried toward the end of that interview, she’s asked about the second season and whether she’d be pregnant in prison. Here’s the relevant snippet:

    What can you say about the second season? [SPOILER] Will you be pregnant in prison?

    I don’t know! I have to wait for the script, too. I want to know if she’s really pregnant or just sick with the flu?

    Oh, it could be that. Because she hasn’t taken a pregnancy test.

    Yeah. Exactly.

    Oh no. I just felt really sad. Really sad. I think I want her to have a baby with Bennett.

    I know. That’s a good thing! That means I’m doing a good job.

    Season 2 began filming this past Monday. A few pictures from the set have been released. The show has also picked up a new cast member, and promoted a couple of other recurring characters to regulars.

  • Google Fiber Gets A Sports Plus Package

    Google Fiber Gets A Sports Plus Package

    Google Fiber TV is turning out to be one fine service. Almost every major channel has jumped on board the Google Fiber train. Now the few lucky Google Fiber subscribers have even more channel options to choose from.

    The Google Fiber blog announced that it’s introducing the Sports Plus package to subscribers of its TV service today. As the name implies, it will give subscribers access to 12 sports channels for $10 extra a month. Here’s what Kansas City customers will get as part of the package:

    NFL RedZone
    MLB Network Strike Zone
    Longhorn Network
    TVG
    Pac-12 Networks (7 channels)
    GolTV (English Only)
    Fight Now TV
    Outside TV
    One World Sports
    World Fishing Network
    HRTV
    Universal Sports Network

    Google notes that the Sports Plus package will change depending on the city. In other words, Google Fiber rollouts in Austin, Texas and Provo, Utah will feature a different Sports Plus package. The company isn’t detailing what those packages will look like just yet.

    If you already have Google Fiber, you just need to call customer service to have the package added. If Google Fiber isn’t installed at your place yet, you can sign up for the package at the Google Fiber We site.

  • Here’s What’s Coming To Netflix Streaming Over The Next Week (Last Year’s Breaking Bad Episodes Now Available)

    Netflix is a revolving door of movie and television content, particularly on the streaming side of things. Though titles often disappear from availability, new ones are also frequently added. Sometimes these come in the form of Netflix original shows or even exclusive access to certain programming, but sometimes it’s just older titles that many find to be still worth watching.

    There’s new (and old) stuff coming to Netflix streaming each week, and it can be difficult to keep up with what’s available all the time. With that, here’s a look at some new additions.

    Note: This is for the U.S.

    As previously reported, Breaking Bad Season 5 (the 1st 8 episodes) are available to stream on Netflix as of today. This gives fans a little time to re-watch the episodes before the final episodes begin to air on August 11th. Unfortunately, those of us here in the U.S. don’t get Netflix access to the new episodes just after they air like they do in the U.K., but we’ll take what we can get.

    Netflix also just debuted a new stand-up comedy special from Rob Schneider called Soy Sauce and the Holocaust, making good on its promise to put out more comedy specials. Here’s the description for that:

    “SNL” alum Rob Schneider takes to the stage (as himself) to examine the bizarre nature of fame, the woes of aging and the virtue of sweatpants. Known for his off-the-wall characters, Schneider opens up about his own life, which can be equally zany.

    Some titles that will be available on Saturday (08/03):

    It’s a Disaster (2012)

    Julia Stiles, David Cross, America Ferrera, Erinn Hayes

    After gathering for Sunday brunch at one of their homes, four couples realize they are stranded together as the world may be coming to an end during an apocalyptic crisis. Nevertheless, they continue to deal with their various relationship issues.

    Erased (2012)

    Aaron Eckhart, Liana Liberato, Olga Kurylenko, Garrick Hagon, Eric Godon

    Ex-CIA agent and current security expert Ben Logan has moved to Belgium with his estranged 15-year-old daughter. But when they’re both targeted for assassination, they must go on the run and learn to trust each other.

    Sadako (2012)

    Satomi Ishihara, Kôji Seto, Tsutomu Takahashi

    Terror goes viral as Sadako, the hungry ghost from the RINGU trilogy, lies in wait for new souls . The cursed videotape of the RINGU trilogy is now a mysterious internet clip and perhaps the cause of a brutal outbreak of teen suicides.

    On 08/05:

    Arbitrage (2012)

    Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Tim Roth, Brit Marling, Laetitia Casta, Nate Parker, Stuart Margolin

    As billionaire Robert Miller struggles to divest his empire before his fraud is brought to light, fate takes a nasty turn. Now desperate and running out of options, Miller turns to an unlikely source for help.

    08/06

    Sex.Violence.FamilyValues. (2013)

    Adrian Pang, Vadi Pvss, Pamela Oei, Lez Ann Chong, Serene Chen, Matthew Loo, Susan Tordoff

    A kindergarten principal finds a series of morbid cartoons drawn by a docile pupil. A porn actor struggles to rise to the occasion while filming his first porno. A middle-aged nightclub bouncer faces off with a rebellious teenage stripper. Director Ken Kwek tells three iconoclastic stories in a short film that pitches political correctness out the window of Singapore mainstream cinema.

    Poster Girl (2010)

    Robynn Murray was an all-American high school cheerleader who became the poster girl for women in combat. Since returning from Iraq, she has fought an insidious foe: post-traumatic stress disorder. This Oscar®-nominated documentary short follows Robynn over the course of two years as she embarks on journey of self-discovery and redemption through art and poetry.

    On 08/10:

    Burn Notice: Season 6 (2012)

    After inexplicably being blacklisted by his government handlers and having all of his assets frozen, quick-thinking and resourceful spy Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) focuses on finding who burned him and helping ordinary people with big problems. This thrilling Miami-based action series pairs the intrepid hero with several allies, including his ex-IRA ex-girlfriend (Gabrielle Anwar) and covert operative best buddy (Bruce Campbell).

    In case you didn’t see what Netflix has added over the past week, it includes: Hell on Wheels Season 2, Fringe Season 5, Titanic, Zack and Miri Make a Porno and more. See here for a bigger list.

  • Mary Lynn Rajskub Tapped To Reprise “24” Role

    “24” was an almost instant hit when it debuted in 2001; with star Kiefer Sutherland taking the main character’s position and lovely young star-to-be Elisha Cuthbert playing his kidnapped daughter, the show was able to draw viewers in on cast alone. From there, it became the talk of television, fraught with tension and suspense as Sutherland’s character, Jack Bauer, got himself into one bad situation after another while trying not to get himself, his co-workers, or his family killed. The format of the show–each episode representing one hour of a 24-hour period–was new and fresh at the time, which also contributed to viewership.

    Now, over a decade later, the show is gearing up for a reboot that will see Sutherland return to the infamous role in “24: Live Another Day”. Joining him will be Mary Lynn Rajskub, who came onto the show in season 3 and ended up staying on for more episodes than any character other than Jack.

    “I am thrilled to be working with Howard [Gordon] and the writers again — and, of course, Kiefer,” Rajskub said in a statement. “There’s a lot more room to grow in my character… I’m going to start sharpening my computer skills right now.”

    Considering the massive following the show had during its first run, it’s not too much of a leap to assume the new episodes will draw in quite a few viewers. And with the success Netflix had with the “Arrested Development” reboot, this could be the beginning of a new phase of television: revisiting the shows we didn’t want to see end (I’m holding out for Buffy, myself).

    “24: Live Another Day” will premiere on Fox next spring.

  • ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Season 2: New Set Photos Released On Facebook

    Update: This one just hit Instagram:

    Back in June, about two weeks before the first season was even released, Netflix announced that it has renewed Orange is the New Black for a second season. This week, we learned that production has started, and filming has commenced.

    I would imagine that we’ll be seeing more, but so far, two new set photos have been shared via the OITNB Facebook page. Here’s one with creator Jenji Kohan hanging out with Taystee, Poussey, and Crazy Eyes:

    Orange is the New Black13 hours ago

    Only two hugs allowed in the visiting room, but #OITNB creator Jenji Kohan will make an exception for Taystee, Poussey, and Crazy Eyes! Follow us for all the updates from the set of Season Two!

    Powered by socialditto  1,000+ likes ·  524 comments

    And yesterday, we saw this one as the start of production was announced:

    Orange is the New Black1 hour ago

    Whip your hair(net) back & forth, production has started on #OITNB season 2! Stay tuned for news and updates!

    Powered by socialditto  1,000+ likes ·  792 comments

    In related news, Orange is the New Black has added a new cast member for the second season. Deadline reported that Lorraine Toussaint will play a character named Vee, who is described as “a longtime street tough who ran her own drug business, recruiting children to serve as runners.” Additionally, actresses Danielle Brooks, who plays Taystee, and Taryn Manning, who plays Pennsatucky, have been promoted to regulars.

    No official release date has been announced yet, but Netflix did say that Season 2 will debut in 2014. Fans are already hungry for more.

  • Directors Guild Welcomes Internet Productions (Like Netflix Shows) To Awards Eligibility

    The Directors Guild of America announced this week that made-for-Internet shows are now eligible for the DGA Awards. Perhaps the fact that Netflix originals have been nominated for fourteen Emmys served as a wake-up call.

    The DGA said in its announcement, “In recognition of the increasing level of original programming being created by our directors and their teams specifically for Internet distribution, the National Board has determined that programs made for Internet distribution in the following eight categories are now eligible for nomination: Dramatic Series; Comedy Series; Movies for Television and Mini-Series; Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly Scheduled Programming; Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials; Documentary; Reality; and Children’s Programming. The Commercials Award category has included commercials specifically made for the Internet since 2007 and will continue to do so. All programs created for the Internet must be covered by a DGA Agreement and be directed by a DGA Director. All categories except Commercials require that a made for the Internet program submitted for awards consideration to be at least a half-hour in length. Exact program length required is determined by the rules in each individual category.”

    That should just about cover Netflix’s original offerings, which are expanding to include more documentaries, stand-up comedy specials and kids content.

    Of course, there are other players besides Netflix, like Amazon, for one, which is also working to rapidly expand its original content offerings, and the doors are really opening up for high quality, professionally-produced shows and films on the web at large. Along with the Emmys, this is a huge landmark for online video.

    “The National Board has determined that all dramatic scripted programming that is part of a series, including daytime serials, will be incorporated in the Dramatic Series Award category,” the DGA said. “This decision was made in recognition that scripted dramatic series are now programmed beyond ‘prime-time’ and that with the increase in series programming created for Internet distribution without set times for viewing, the definition of what is a dramatic series has fundamentally shifted. In addition, because of the compression of entries over the past few years in the Daytime Serials Award category, the National Board elected to merge this category into Dramatic Series.

    The National Board of Directors voted on the DGA rule changes last month at a board meeting. The next DGA Awards ceremony will take place in January.

    Image: David Fincher (Wikimedia Commons)

  • As School Draws Near, Netflix Starts Marketing To Kids

    While most of the attention Netflix has been getting lately is related to its original shows like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, which are very adult-themed, the company has been placing a great deal of emphasis on families in 2013.

    Netflix has released a new TV spot aimed directly at people with kids.

    Here’s the video description:

    Hey Grown-ups, it’s Netflix Kids! Help your little ones discover the best kids TV shows and movies for the whole family on your computer, TV game console, tablet or mobile. Included free with your Netflix subscription.

    Of course, this kids content is nothing new, but it’s interesting Netflix is choosing this marketing angle right now as kids across the country get ready to go back to school, considering that Netflix launched its Netflix Families site in June aimed at generating a bigger spike in children’s video streaming while they’re on summer vacation.

    Back in April, Netflix announced a new Family plan for subscribers, giving them access to four simultaneous streams for $12. This summer, Netflix began showing off its forthcoming user profiles feature, which will also greatly appeal to subscribers with children. These are due out later this summer, but some have already started seeing them on certain devices.

    Netflix User Profiles

    Image: Yahoo News (E3)

    Soon, we can expect to see Netflix expand its family-oriented original programming. Last week, it already launched new original series Mako Mermaids, which is rated TV-G.

    In June, the company announced its biggest-ever deal for original content, partnering with DreamWorks Animation. This will see Netflix gaining over 300 hours of new, original programming targeted at young people.

    A series based on the recently released film Turbo is reportedly coming this year. Later, we’ll see series based on films like Shrek, Madagascar and How to Train Your Dragon.

    On a semi-related note, Amazon just kicked off a new round of pilots with five new kids shows.

  • ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Season 2 Has Begun Filming

    Orange is the New Black continues to capture a great deal of buzz on the Internet nearly three weeks after the launch of the entire first season. Netflix announced that it would produce a second season even before the first one debuted, and things are moving right along.

    As reported earlier, Lorraine Toussaint has been added to the cast, and Danielle Brooks and Taryn Manning from Season 1 have been promoted to regulars.

    It has also been announced that production has begun. From the Orange is the New Black Facebook page (also announced on Twitter this morning):

    Orange is the New Black1 hour ago

    Whip your hair(net) back & forth, production has started on #OITNB season 2! Stay tuned for news and updates!

    Powered by socialditto  1,000+ likes ·  792 comments

    Separately, Matt McGorry, who plays John Bennett on the show, told Entertainment Weekly that the show was to begin filming on Monday.

    Netflix has not announced a release date for the second season, but has said that it will debut in 2014. Other Netflix shows like House of Cards, Hemlock Grove and Lilyhammer have second seasons on the way. Lilyhammer’s will debut sometime this year. Arrested Development, which has earned three Emmhy nominations is likely to get picked up for another season as well. So far, Netflix is keeping the original content train rolling right along.

  • Cable Households Dropping, Over-The-Air Households Down to 7%

    Now that streaming services companies such as Netflix and Amazon have begun to create their own original programming (and are getting Emmy Award nominations for them), the pressure is on for traditional programming outlets to compete. New research released today shows that cable and network television could soon be falling behind faster than anyone might imagine.

    According to the Consumer Electronics Association’s (CEA) latest “U.S. Household Television Usage” report, the number of U.S. households that receive cable TV programming through cable, satellite, and fiber connections have fallen to 83% – down from 88% in 2010. The CEA cited non-TV devices such as computers, tablets, and smartphones, as well as streaming services as a major factor in the drop in cable subscribed households. The same report found that 28% of U.S. households now watch some TV content via the internet, with 4% using the internet to exclusively access TV content.

    At the same time, U.S. television viewers that cancel their cable subscriptions do not seem to be flocking to over-the-air TV content. The CEA report shows that only 7% of U.S. households receive all of their TV content over-the-air – a decrease from 16% one decade ago. This suggests that Americans are now watching TV from more sources than ever, while at the same time beginning to question the value of traditional cable subscriptions.

    “The vast majority of Americans no longer rely on over-the-air TV signals,” said Gary Shapiro, CEO of CEA. “Consumers have moved away in droves from traditional broadcast television thanks to a surge in programming alternatives available through wired and wireless broadband connections. This is why Congress had it right when they authorized the FCC to hold voluntary broadcast spectrum incentive auctions to reallocate broadcast television spectrum to greater uses, like wireless broadband. This study provides yet another reason why it is time for broadcast spectrum to be reallocated, and quickly.”

  • ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Cast Gets New Addition For Season 2

    Netflix’s new hit show Orange is the New Black has added a cast member for the second season, and promoted a couple of recurring cast members from the first season to regulars for the second one.

    The news, which comes from Deadline as an exclusive, is that Lorraine Toussaint (pictured above) will play a character named Vee, described as “a longtime street tough who ran her own drug business, recruiting children to serve as runners.”

    Toussaint has a long body of work dating back to the early 80s. She has had recurring roles on a number of television shows, including Where I Live, The Young and the Restless, Friday Night Lights, Amazing Grace, Leaving L.A., Any Day Now, Crossing Jordan, Law & Order, Threat Matrix, The Closer, CSI, Ugly Betty and Body of Proof, as well as one-episode roles in a number of other series.

    Actresses Danielle Brooks, who plays Taystee on OITNB, and Taryn Manning, who plays Pennsatucky, have been promoted to regulars. Brooks’ filmography so far only consists of OITNB and a 2012 TV movie called Modern Love. Manning, on the other hand, has a rather extensive filmography including films like 8 Mile and Hustle & Flow and recurring roles on shows like Sons of Anarchy and Hawaii Five-0

    Orange is the New Black was renewed for a second season in June, even before the first season debuted. Season 2 will debut on an as-of-yet unannounced date in 2014. It joins Lilyhammer, House of Cards, Hemlock Grove and most likely Arrested Development in getting a second season on Netflix. Lilyhammer’s second season should be available sometime this year.

    Here’s Brooks as Taystee (NSFW language):

    Here’s Manning talking about her role:

    Image: Mingle Media TV (Flickr via Wikimedia Commons)