SMALL SCREEN, BIG NEWS
All the TV news that you need to know… in just 10 minutes.
Days Of Our Lives (1965-current) is really amping up the drama for the soapie’s 50th anniversary – the latest surprise twist has seen Bo Brady (Peter Reckell), who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour, die in the arms of his one true love Hope (Kristian Alfonso). We’ll see the heartbreaking death in about three years’ time.
American Idol (2002-2016) is planning to go big as they go home – when the final season airs next year, every former judge will be returning to say goodbye. While we don’t yet know in what capacity they’ll appear, it’ll be great to see former judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, Steven Tyler, Ellen DeGeneres, Nicki Minaj, Kara DioGuardi and Mariah Carey back. The Walking Dead (2010current) has cast iconic comic book villain Negan, who will appear from the season 6 finale. Big names such as Matt Dillon (from Wayward Pines, 2015) and Timothy Olyphant (Justified, 20102015) were in the running but the part has been snagged by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, last seen in season 2 of Extant (2014-2015). The casting also means that his role in The Good Wife’s (2010-2015) upcoming seventh season is likely to only be for one season.
Supergirl (2015-current) is staging a Glee reunion (2009-2015) now that Blake Jenner’s been cast for a multiple-episode guest role as a potential new love interest for Kara/Supergirl (Melissa Benoist). Blake and Melissa played Glee’s on/off couple Ryder and Marley and are married in real life.
Looks like the already often-absent Thorne Forrester will be getting even less screentime on The Bold And The Beautiful (1987-current). Winsor Harmon, who joined B&B in 1996, has been dropped from the soapie’s updated opening credits, while three new faces – Pierson Fode (the new Thomas Forrester), Reign Edwards (Maya’s sister Nicole Avant) and Rome Flynn (Zende Forrester) – have been added. We’ll see the new opening in SA next year.
The Blacklist’s (2013current) Liz might be on the run in season 3 but it’s going to get trickier to hide actress Megan Boone’s new role: as a soon-to-be mommy. The actress is four-months pregnant and will be approaching her due date by the time filming of the 22-episode season winds down. It’s not yet clear if her pregnancy will be written into the storyline but that would make a great twist in the tale!
Shonda Rhimes is such a tease! The creator of hit shows like Grey’s Anatomy (2005-current), The Fixer (2012-current) and How To Get Away With Murder (2014-current) let slip during her recent book tour that she’s killed off a character on one of her shows because she didn’t like the actor (or actress) playing them. While the rumour mill’s speculating that the victim was likely Patrick Dempsey (Grey’s Dr McDreamy), it could easily have been his former Grey’s co-stars Eric Dane (Mark), TR Knight (George) or Chyler Leigh (Lexie). Plus there’s Fixer’s Dan Bucatinsky (James) and Columbus Short (Harrison) and nearly a dozen people on How To Get Away With Murder. Still, it’s fun to speculate…
It’s almost time to take your last sip of E!’s pop culture clip show The Soup (1991-2015) – the series, hosted by Joel McHale, has been canned and will air its last-ever episode on Friday 18 December after 22 seasons.
Good news for fans of American Horror Story (2011-current). The current fifth season has proven so popular that the franchise is getting a sixth season and while it’s still too early to tell if she’ll do another season, Lady Gaga’s officially been asked to return. Also getting renewed are crime dramas Murder In The First (2014current) and Fargo (2014-current), both for third seasons.
The Real Housewives franchise is growing, with two more versions of the catfightsand-cattiness reality show being commissioned. In addition to The Real Housewives Of Orange Country (2006current), New York City (2008current), Atlanta (2008-current), New Jersey (2009-current) and Beverly Hills (2010-current), next year will see the launch of Real Housewives Of Dallas and Real Housewives Of Potomac, which is near the United States capital of Washington DC and is regarded as the most affluent town in the US.