HBO’s three-part miniseries based on J.K. Rowling‘s novel, The Casual Vacancy will air Wednesday, Apr. 29 from 8 to 10 pm, with the final hour airing Thursday, Apr. 30 at 8 pm. Written by Sarah Phelps (EastEnders) and directed by Jonny Campbell (In the Flesh), The Casual Vacancy takes place in the idyllic English village of Pagford, where things aren’t as perfect as they seem. Michael Gambon (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ), Keeley Hawes (Upstairs Downstairs), Rory Kinnear (Skyfall), Monica Dolan (The Escape Artist), and Julia McKenzie (Agatha Christie’s Marple) star.
Heroes alum Milo Ventimiglia will have a major recurring arc on Fox’s Gotham as “the Ogre.” As the character Jason Lennon, Ventimiglia will play a handsome, wealthy bachelor who moonlights as the Ogre, a serial killer who preys on the women of Gotham. Ventimiglia will debut as Lennon in the 19th episode of the season. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gotham‘s Ogre is different from the Ogre that fans know from DC Comics mythology (and there’s no word on how he fits into the Revenge of the Nerds universe). Look for Ventimiglia, set for a major role, this March.
Good news for five of NBC’s beloved dramas. Announced Thursday, the Peacock Network renewed The Blacklist for season three, Chicago PD for season three, Chicago Fire for season four, Grimm for season five, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for season 17. Constantine did not receive a back order for season one, but the word is that they are still considering it for next season. Mysteries of Laura, which has decent ratings in its Wednesday night slot, also stands a chance, while State of Affairs… not so much. On the comedy side, the future is still uncertain for Marry Me and About a Boy.
Not since Desperate Housewives hit Wisteria Lane in 2004 has a new drama been such a ratings success. This week, CBS shared the news that NCIS: New Orleans, it’s Big Easy spinoff starring Scott Bakula, is the most-watched freshman drama in 10 years. With an average audience of 18.63 million viewers, NCIS: New Orleans wins its Tuesday time period with adults 18 to 49 and adults 25 to 54. It’s also the fourth-ranked program on primetime TV and the number-two broadcast drama behind only NCIS. Season one of NCIS: New Orleans is Fresh at 65 percent.
On Wednesday, British booksellers tweeted and deleted a picture of the original outline for George R.R. Martin’s proposed A Song of Ice and Fire books (proposed as a trilogy, mind you), the source material for HBO’s Game of Thrones. Of course, this being the internet, you can see the deleted photo here. While some things in the 1993 outline are wildly different from what we’ve actually seen and read so far, enough holds up that the outline could contain some major spoilers for books/seasons to come. Stop reading to avoid spoilers past and future. Most notable was Martin’s trajectory for five major characters who would survive to the end of the epic: Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow, Arya Stark, Daenerys Targaryen, and Bran Stark. And the most important detail to never come to the page? A love triangle between Arya, Tyrion, and Jon Snow. Ew, ew, and ew. Read more at IGN.com.
