IFC's Out There animates the bittersweet teenage years.
News
Former As the World Turns hunk Jesse Soffer has joined the cast of NBC's modern-day Hatfields & McCoys drama, Deadline reports. Offer will appear as a prodigal son of the McCoy clan who returns to the fold just as the feud starts to heat up again. Now, if only I had more reason to include the phrase "Former As the World Turns hunk" more often.
The story of the ratings for The Americans has been a bumpy road. The espionage drama had a big debut, (what looked like) a large second-week drop-off and followed with a big gain from DVR viewers. Thankfully, the nervous part is over as FX has ordered a second season, meaning we'll get to keep seeing Matthew Rhys in a variety of disguises. Additionally, Nielsen has finished counting the viewers for the premiere and it now ranks as FX's most-watched series debut.
The CW's Tomorrow People reboot keeps getting better looking, adding Robbie Amell. Now I'm hoping the CW picks it up and pairs it with Arrow, making Wednesday Amell (Robbie is cousin to Arrow's Stephen Amell) night on The CW.
In a long-demanded move, A.C. Nielsen announced that it will begin counting viewers who watch through alternative means like through tablet computers and game consoles. Think Progress'Alyssa Rosenberg asks some important questions about how these viewers will be counted, but I also wonder if Nielsen's methods will end up affecting how networks post video online (for example, will the way they count viewers encourage networks to post more clips or full episodes? Will it encourage someone like MSNBC to make it easier to dig through the video archives?)
A few days ago, reports surfaced saying that Tom Ellis would be appearing on the new season of Downton Abbey as Mary's new love interest. As much as I wanted to pass along a juicy rumor, the story came from a source that didn't inspire a lot of trust. Instead, Ellis has joined the ABC pilotGothica, the soap that mixes up various classic horror stories with Ellis as Frankenstein (that's the Doctor not his creation). Additionally, Kings alum Chris Egan will play the pilot's Dorian Gray.
In an interview with TV Guide, FX president John Landgraf says he's avoiding shows about anti-heroes, noting that TV is awash in anti-heroes and he wants to try something different. Thus, FX is home to more "unconventional heroes"like Raylan Givens.
Former Revenge sack of crazy Ashton Holmes has joined the ABC pilotReckless. The series follows a man whose wife is unjustly imprisoned in a foreign country. Holmes will play a friend of the lead character, a man with connections to a security contractor.
Expect Meet the Press to continue its "no follow-up questions" policy for another four years
Deadline reports that Constance Zimmer is joining The Newsroom next season as a press spokesperson for the Mitt Romney campaign. I don't know what's going to be more fun to watch, the schadenfreude of looking back at all of the Romney's campaigns mistakes (which, by now, we know were mistakes) or the meltdowns it will inspire among conservatives.
The Canadian Primeval spin-off, Primeval: New Worldhas been cancelled. The series doesn't have a U.S. air date set yet, but it's supposed to air on Syfy sometime this year.
Former Party Down and Veronica Mars hunk Ryan Hansen has joined CBS'Bad Teacher adaptation. He'll play an athletic coach which (yes!) means he'll usually be wearing shorts.
With CNN revamping its morning show, Soledad O'Brien says she's discussing her future role at CNN.
Revenge is giving viewers what they want and this season's finales will be "very Nolan-centric,"Gabriel Mann told TVLine. Now if only they could make Padma half as interesting as Dilshad Vadsaria.
Friday's Listings
Anderson Live (syndicated) Check local listings
Marilu Henner is Anderson's co-host today as he discusses healthy Oscar party snack ideas. Henner's supposed to talk about memory, but I suspect she'll have an opinion on how healthy those snack ideas are. I hope Anderson asks her about those opinions.
Days of Our Lives (NBC) Check local listings
Will has more hospital waiting room drama in store for him today, but Sonny's coming to offer support. Will it fill Sonny with a renewed sense of false hope or actually bring Sonny closer to realizing he kinda misses having Will as a boyfriend? Thankfully, snicks is back to liveblog the action so join us starting at 1PM Eastern!
Nikita (CW) 8:00 PM ET
When Amanda can't physically attack her enemies, she likes to create some emotional devastation, so she finds a way to kill the Director of the CIA and leave a trail of evidence tying Sean to the crime. She probably has a spare mole in The Division, too — one just assigned to capture Alex's various sadfaces so that Amanda can put on a slide show and snicker maniacally. At least, I imagine Amanda spends her free time doing things that end in evil laughter. I seem to like her that way.
Malibu Country (ABC) 8:30 PM ET
It's Lillie Mae's birthday and, while everyone wants to give her a great present, it turns out she's one of those people who wants to spend time enjoying one of her hobbies with the people she loves. In this case that means bowling, though the nice day out turns competitive thanks to Lilie Mae's bowling league teammate (played by the great Tisha Campbell-Martin).
Spartacus: War of the Damned (Starz) 9:00 PM ET
There's a spy among the rebels' army — or so people suspect. That's all it takes for things to get tense and it's time for Spartacus to start yelling at everyone to calm down.
Degrassi (Teen Nick) 9:00 PM ET
The students deal with a tragedy? Look, Degrassi, I know it's been literally years since JT's death, but the only bad thing I'm ready to see happen to sad-puppy-eyed Cam is that he finally gets that hug he so clearly needs and the other person squeezes too hard. Or maybe Degrassi is trying to pull off that thirtysomething trick where we spend an episode bracing ourselves to say goodbye to Nancy, only for Gary to pull a Matthew Crowley? I guess that's no less devastating, but I'd like to see the boy who used his lactose intolerance to get out of sports practice to get a break that doesn't involve making himself sick.
Merlin (Syfy) 10:00 PM ET
Morgana must have figured out that if she wants to get Arthur she'll need to stop Merlin from being able to save him, since this time she's setting a trap for him.
Portlandia (IFC) 10:00 PM ET
Now that a roommate relationship has turned romantic, Carrie and Alexandra face one of the dangers of dating in Portland, a dinner date at a communal table.
Out There (IFC) 10:30 PM ET
I almost didn't make it all the way through the preview IFC aired a few weeks ago. For the first few minutes, I had the bad feeling we were supposed to laugh at these two kids get bullied but it found the right balance between finding the sad humor of being an awkward teen and showing a genuine affection for these rejects. Tonight, IFC's offering two episodes of its new, bittersweet animated comedy.
I probably shouldn't be excited about a TV movie, but Syfy's End of the World
is the first time Neil Grayston has been on my TV since Eureka ended.
Saturday's Listings
End of the World (Syfy) 9:00 PM ET
Syfy's late Valentine to the fans of its original movies has Neil Grayston and Greg Grunberg as syfy sci-fi fanboys who use what they've learned from disaster movies to save the world from plasma rain. On paper, that sounds like the metatexual Scream of the Syfy Original Movies, let's hope it can live up to it.
Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best (WE) 9:00 PM ET
Joan Rivers returns for another season of using reality TV to demonstrate the challenges of living with a comedian.
The 2013 Independent Spirit Awards
As always, the eve of the Oscars is for celebrating the movies that are more focused on the vision of the artist. This year's ceremonies have Andy Samberg hosting, and we'll be cheering for Thure Lundhardt and his film Keep the Lights On.
The Graham Norton Show (BBC America) 10:20 PM ET
This week sees Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, Matt Lucas and Delia Smith sharing space on Graham's couch.
Sunday's Listings
The Amazing Race (CBS) 8:00 PM ET
The Race stays in Bora Bora as one competitor faces an injury that might take him out of the running.
Chopped (Food Network) 8:00 PM ET
Four amateur cooks get a chance to show what they can do with the mystery baskets — which, this week, includes ostrich fillets and blueberry wine.
The 85th Annual Academy Awards (ABC) 8:30 PM ET
The Oscars are back to trying to be edgy this year with Seth MacFarlane hosting. At the least, that seems like a good time to throw around all those movie references that make up... what, half of the jokes on Family Guy.
Walking Dead (AMC) 9:00 PM ET
Now that The Governor has gotten some vengeance on Rick and his team (I'm sure he'll be seeking more eventually) he's setting some new rules for Woodbury, changes that don't quite sit right with Andrea. Maybe this is the time she finally does something about those concerns? It would nice to see Andrea not be wrong a little more often.
Girls (HBO) 9:00 PM ET
Hannah and Jessa go upstate where (in addition to that "Are we still in the same state?" feeling) there's a virginal teenage son to deal with. Yeah, that's probably not going to go well.
Shameless (Showtime) 9:00 PM ET
Since there have been a number of appalling actions since we were last reminded that Fiona and her siblings have to bear Frank and Monica's awfulness or else be torn apart by family services, this week the state takes the Gallagher children away from their family, leaving Fiona to find a way to get her siblings back.
Enlightened (HBO) 9:30 PM ET
Thanks to Tyler, Amy gets to meet the man she's working to bring down, which probably means she's about to think of him as someone a little more complicated than the incarnation of greed that has existed in her head, and rethink her plan way too late.
Talking Dead (AMC) 10:00 PM ET
This week it's Scott Adsit, Retta and a mystery Walking Dead castmember (hm, does that mean there's another death coming?) who will be discussing the latest episode.
What will you be watching this weekend? Please share in the comments!
Monday's Preview
Live! with Kelly and Michael (syndicated) Check local listings
Carson Kressley's scheduled for Monday's show, it'd be a shame if they didn't talk with him about the Oscar fashions.
Anderson Live (syndicated) Check local listings
There may not be another Revenge for a few weeks but Anderson has a visit with Madeline Stowe to make the wait a little better.
