I’m so far behind on entertainment news that this is only half of all the articles that I need to go through to get caught up. We’ll have the other half in a shorter installment in a few days.
We’re going to start this installment of entertainment news with a review of the new reincarnation of “Beauty and the Beast” on the CW network. There are actually two different beauty and the beast shows appearing this year. This one bills itself as a re-imagination or reboot of the classic Ron Perlman/Linda Hamilton show created by Ron Koslow and ran from 1987-1990. These comments are based on viewing the first episode only. However two episodes have aired at this point. This time around Catherine Chandler is played by Kristin Kreuk is attractive enough for the part and experienced in playing opposite a “superhero?” because she is most famous for her role of Lana Lang opposite Clark Kent in the CW network series Smallville. Her counterpart Vincent is played by Jay Ryan was most recently been seen in Fox networks Terra Nova. Except for these two character names absolutely nothing else resembles the previous late 80s romantic drama.
While I expected they would make some changes and perhaps update it somehow, I really didn’t expect them to gut what I thought was some of the best parts of the original. This time Catherine is a police detective rather than an assistant district attorney which is okay. It still gives her opportunity to interact with bad guys. Vincent rescues her from said bad guys at least twice in the first episode so that part is true to the original. But my number one problem with the change is that Vincent isn’t really a beast. At least not all of the time. The original Vincent’s theme song could’ve been Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way”. His back story was that he was literally born in that disfigured way, abandoned at St. Vincent’s Hospital (hence his name) and taken in by a man whom he would later call father. He lived in a community in abandoned tunnels beneath New York City with a fascinating cast of characters who were similarly outcasts of society. Much of the charm of the original game from this mini utopia society that they had created which was defended from the outside by Vincent and Catherine. This time Vincent hangs out in an abandoned factory and has a tech guy for a sidekick. The tech sidekick would’ve been a good modernization of the story if they had kept the underground community but as it is his living environment is a great disappointment.
I could have dealt with all the above with only minor disappointment but the major change that I think redefines the show in a bad way is that the beast isn’t really a beast. At least not full time. Vincent Keller (he has a last name now) signed up for the Marines after 9/11, was injected with some mysterious substance to make him a super soldier (along with others) and it turned him into an uncontrollable beast. But only part-time. This isn’t The Beast who was born this way. This is the Incredible Hulk or perhaps Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Most of the time he looks like a perfectly normal hunk of a soldier with nothing more than a nasty scar along one cheek. Only when his adrenaline is up in a case of danger does he transform into a real monster.
The whole essence of the fairytale and the Ron Koslow 1980s re-imagination was that the beauty love the beast DESPITE HIS APPEARANCE! At times in this episode Vincent has to try to convince her that he really is a beastly person. That’s not what this story should be about. His monstrousness should be self-evident.
To say that I’m disappointed is a gross understatement. I will probably give it several more episodes to try to win me over. It may have something worthwhile to offer. But if you were as excited as I was that they were bringing back a show that was well acted, well written, and had a compelling premise that the original 80s series had, you’re going to be disappointed as well. The credit still list Koslow as “creator” and he’s been given an executive producer title. I’m hoping he’s getting more than just a credit and a check in exchange for (allegedly) using his original idea. I’m hoping he really has some input down the road. Otherwise this whole thing is going to be a waste of time.
Meanwhile CW network’s Green Arrow Comic book hero series titled “Arrow” shows good promise and open to good ratings. And if your sci-fi freak NBC’s “Revolution” has potential although might not be for everyone. NBC’s sitcoms are a mixed bag. “Go On” starring Matthew Perry shows a little promise. Much of it is over the top but it has a lot of heart and tackles the subject of grief with sensitivity and humor. If you like Matthew Perry you might like it. NBC’s answer to “Modern Family” titled “The New Normal” business is good as the ABC series it rips off. The grandmothers rampant racism and homophobia is trying to be a modern day Archie Bunker type. If you’re the kind of person who laughs at things designed for their shock value of outrageousness (and in moderation I am) then you might check it out. I like it, I’m watching it, but I’m getting a feeling it’s going to get old after a while and the shock value wears off.
You’re probably wondering why I list the links to articles here and then put the links at the bottom of the page. That’s because I’m cutting and pasting the links from a program called Feed Demon which assembles RSS newsfeeds that I used to track all of these entertainment websites. But often their title of the article is different than what I want to call it. It would be too hard to link the URLs to my text using Microsoft Outlook. So I put my description of the article here and put the actual links at the bottom of the page. So see the links below to read…
Anna Torv interview about this season of Fringe
Evil Queen Lana Parrilla talks about this season of Once upon a Time
Revolution show runner discusses death of major character in other news
Stephen Ammel a.k.a. the new Oliver Queen in “Arrow” discusses upcoming plot lines.
Walton Goggins discusses his hilarious transgendered guest starring on Sons of Anarchy
Matt Mitovich’s inside line scoops for October 11
Mary McDonald talks about Major Crimes finale and looks forward to season 2 which has been recently announced
Producer Robert Kirkman discusses Walking Dead season premiere
Spoilers from Michael Ausiello from last Tuesday
Interview with Kelly Hu a.k.a. China White on CW networks Arrow
Interview with Josh Molina about plot lines in his character on Scandal
Fascinating article about the difficulties of measuring ratings in a DVR era
Interview with Nikita boss about season premiere and upcoming plot lines
Actor Robert Carlyle talks about creating Rumpelstiltskin on Once upon a Time
Map of North America in post-apocalyptic series Revolution
Article about Once upon a Time using R-rated language in scripts but not in dialogue
Not in the links below but of interest
Gray’s Anatomy show runner Shonda Rimes promises that Callie and Arizona will get over their differences over the leg amputation
Eric Dane recently deceased from Gray’s Anatomy has signed up for a new TNT postapocalypse drama “The Last Ship” about a US destroyer that survives the end of the world
Titus Welliver a.k.a. Lost’s man in black has also signed up for The Last Ship on TNT
First Canceled Show award goes to “Made in Jersey” which CBS has pulled after two episodes. I gave up after one episode.
Neve Campbell is joining Gray’s Anatomy as Derek’s sister
Deadwood’s Ian McShane is joining the cast of American Horror Story
NBC’s reboot of The Munsters titled “Mockingbird Lane” will air its pilot as a Halloween special October 26. If it does well it might get picked up as a series. Otherwise it’s in trouble.
NBC’s Revolution, Go On, and The New Normal have all received full season orders
Producers of The Walking Dead hint that they may make a prequel movie!
Hamish Linklater who played the brother on New Adventures of Old Christine has an upcoming role on The Good Wife
Psych season 7 returns February 27, 2013
USA Network has renewed “Suits” for season 3. I really like season one but it didn’t fit in my schedule season 2 and I had to drop it. May go back and watch some downloads if I get a chance.
David Keith a.k.a. “The Cape” is joining “Touch” as Kiefer Sutherland’s pal
NBC has canceled Dane Cook’s midseason replacement sitcom before even aired one episode
Marc Pellegrino a.k.a. Jacob from “Lost” reunites with Michael Emerson an upcoming episode of Person of Interest
Clark Gregg is back from the dead. He will reprise his role as agent Phil Colson in the upcoming SHIELD pilot for ABC
Syfy Channel has announced season 3 of Being Human will be January 14, 2013
HBO series Girls and Enlightened will return for their second seasons January 13
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will cohost the 2013 Golden Globe Awards on NBC
American Idol alumni Jessica Sanchez has landed an official role on Fox’s Glee
Beyoncé will headline the 2013 Super Bowl halftime
Khloe Kardashian and Maria Lopez will cohost The X Factor
Opie lives! Ryan Hearst has joined the cast of “King & Maxwell” on TNT based on the books by David Balducci about secret agents turned private detectives.
Brown Coats Unite! Castle will investigate the death at a sci-fi convention November 5. Episode directed by Jonathan Frakes
Speaking of Brown coats… The Science Channel will air a special honoring the 10th anniversary of Firefly on November 11
Polly Walker a.k.a. Clarice Willow of Caprica and Atia Julii of Rome will appear in five episodes of warehouse 13.
Olympian Missy Franklin will appear in Pretty Little Liars upcoming episodes
X walking dead show runner Frank Darabont’s. Drama LA Noir has been picked up by TNT for six episodes
Dylan McDermott will come back to American Horror Story for one episode
George Takei will appear in an upcoming Hawaii 50
The X factor episode they got messed up by the baseball rain delay will re-air in its entirety on Tuesday
Second casualty! NBC cancels Animal Practice. I couldn’t even finish a whole episode. Will be replaced by Whitney.
Brendan Fraser will star in TNT’s upcoming pilot “Legends” based on the book by Robert Littell.
Lost star Henry Ian Cusick will guest star on upcoming episode of Body of Proof
ABC’s Private Practice will end after just 13 episodes this season.
Fox network is pushing Touch to midseason. Kitchen nightmares will be on starting October 26
Fox has ordered more episodes of sitcoms “The Mindy Project” and “Ben and Kate”. I’ve not watched either
NBC has postponed the season premiere of Community
Comedian Louis CK has requested that FX network delay season 4 of his series Louis until 2014.
Astronaut Buzz Aldrin will appear on this week’s Big Bang Theory
Producers of NBC’s Revolution and that they will explain why the blackout occurred sometime before the season finale.
Jay Leno is scheduled to appear CBS’s Craig Ferguson Late Show
TNT has canceled reality competition show “The Great Escape” after one season. I kind of liked it.
BBC America’s first show Copper has been renewed for a second season
And finally the obituaries.
Gary Collins was a veteran character actor who guest starred on many TV shows died at age 74
Anna Torv Talks About ‘Tricky, Complicated’ Fringe Reunions, ‘Amber Burn’ and the Big Finale
Revolution Boss Talks Maggie’s Death, Blackout Answers and Neville’s ‘Lady MacBeth’
Fall TV Preview: Stephen Amell Reveals Arrow’s Greatest Weakness: ‘He’s Going to Self-Destruct’
Sons of Anarchy: Walton Goggins Opens Up About His Surprise, Sex-Rated Cameo
Matt’s Inside Line: Scoop on Glee, Grey’s, Arrow, Person of Interest, Once Upon a Time and Scandal
Mary McDonnell Previews Major Crimes Finale, Shares Why Season 2 News Brought Such Relief
Walking Dead Post Mortem: Is [Spoiler]’s Death Inevitable? Romance For Andrea and Michonne?
Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on Castle, NCIS, Glee, Grey’s, Gossip, P’hood, Community and More!
Arrow Vs. China White: Kelly Hu Teases the CW Hit’s First (and Brutal) Super Showdown
Scandal’s Joshua Malina Previews David’s ‘Down and Dirty’ Plot to Take Down Olivia
The New DVR Ratings Surge: Why Your Playback Habits Matter (and Why They Don’t)
Arrow Vs. China White: Kelly Hu Teases the CW Hit’s First (and Brutal) Super Showdown
Nikita Boss On That Major ‘Mikita’ Surprise! Plus Scoop On Alex, Sean, Owen, Ryan and Division
‘Once Upon’: How Robert Carlyle created Rumpelstiltskin
‘Revolution’: Check out a map of North America 15 years after the blackout — EXCLUSIVE
‘Once Upon a Time’ scripts full of cursing