WEDNESDAY CELEBS
READERS: I promised to let you know as soon as I had more “Nashville” news, and that time is now. Word just came down that the second half of season five will premiere Thursday, June 1, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CMT (with all new episodes streaming on Hulu the following day). And so you can plan for down the road, season six is scheduled to begin airing in early 2018. There also is some casting news: Cameron Scoggins, who plays tech billionaire Zach Welles, has been upgraded to series regular. Methinks this has something to do with his burgeoning romance with Will Lexington. And joining the cast is Odessa Adion, who will play the recurring role of Liv. Here’s her character description from CMT: “Tough, but vulnerable, Liv is a teen runaway who has ditched a bad situation to live on the streets among a loose collection of other runaway teens.” *** Q: This past year I got really into “Timeless.” I couldn’t wait to see what era in history they would travel to next. Do you know if it has been renewed?
– Debbi J., via Facebook
A: I too love that show, so I am doubly sad to report that NBC has canceled the freshman series for low ratings. However, there is still hope: Series creators Eric Kripke and Shawn Ryan tweeted that “Timeless” is being shopped around by Sony to other outlets. And while the odds are against them, hopefully they’ll have the same luck as the aforementioned “Nashville” and find new life on another network. Hmmm ... I’m thinking this is a perfect fit for FX or SyFy. *** Q: My mom told me that Anne Rice’s “Vampire Chronicles” are coming to television. Is that true? If so, do you have any details?
– Lydia F., via email A: The Queen of the Damned herself, Ms. Rice, confirmed on her official Facebook page that “The Vampire Chronicles” has been picked up by Paramount TV for development. Anne’s son, Christopher, will write the series, with both of them serving as producers. Anne is “thrilled beyond words” about the reboot, stating: “In this unique golden age of television, I couldn’t ask for a finer or more passionate team to help bring my beloved vampire hero, Lestat, alive in a series of the highest quality. This is a dream come true, both for me and for Christopher, and for the fans who have been asking to see the Brat Prince in this medium for years.”
Write to Cindy at King Features Weekly Service, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803; or e-mail her at letters@cindyelavsky.com.