In TV news this week, HBO’s True Detective writer-producer Nic Pizzolatto shared details about season two, including confirmation of the setting, and updates on casting and scripting. We also got updates on an inspired casting choice by Sons of Anarchy, a confirmed cameo in the new Doctor Who series, the latest on the Community cancellation, and the pick-up of a new series by Danny McBride.
Pizzolatto Reveals Season Two True Detective Details
On this week’s “To the Best of Our Knowledge” podcast, writer-producer Nic Pizzolatto shared a few new details about season two of HBO’s True Detective. “Right now, we’re working with three leads and it takes place in CA — not Los Angeles, but some of the much lesser-known venues of California — and we’re going to try to capture a certain psychosphere ambiance of the place much like we did in season one,” Pizzolatto told host Steve Paulson. “The characters are all new, but I’m deeply in love with each of them. And we’ve got the entire series broken out with a couple scripts and we’ll probably start casting in earnest within the coming months.” No word yet on season two casting, but rumors that Zero Dark Thirty star Jessica Chastain might be involved were shot down this week by Chastain herself.
Sons of Anarchy Casts Marilyn Manson
Shock-rocker Marilyn Manson landed a recurring role in season seven of FX’s long-run, Sons of Anarchy, returning to TV in September. Manson, who has done acting work in the past, will play white supremacist Ron Tully. “Sons has been such a big part of my life, as well as my father’s,” Manson said in a press release. “So I was determined to make him proud by being involved in what will probably be remembered as the most amazing piece of television cinema. After all, the very heart of SOA is about that relationship. So, now all I need is a motorcycle.”
Hulu in Talks to Save Community?
Sony Pictures TV and Hulu aren’t commenting, but Deadline reported that the streaming service Hulu is in talks with Sony to save Community, the NBC sitcom which was cancelled earlier this month after five seasons. “Sources stress that conversations are preliminary and it is unclear whether they would lead to a deal,” Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva reported, “but I hear there is will on both sides.” After an ambivalent reaction to the cancellation, show creator Dan Harmon blogged that he wouldn’t stand in the way of a Hulu pickup, stating, “I’m not going to be the guy that recancels cancelled Community.”
HBO Orders New Danny McBride Series
Good news for Eastbound and Down fans: HBO picked up 18 episodes of Vice Principals, a new scripted series from Danny McBride and Jody Hill. “Danny McBride and Jody Hill have created a smart, rowdy and unpredictable style of comedy that we can’t get enough of,” said HBO programming president Michael Lombardo in a release. “The idea of them setting their minds on high school was irresistible.” The premiere date has not been announced yet, but the news comes one week after FX announced the cancellation of Chozen, exec-produced by McBride.
New Doctor Who Will Feature UK Pop Singer Foxes
Pop star Foxes will have a cameo in the new Doctor Who, according to BBC . The singer, whose dance-pop tracks include “Let Go For Tonight” and “Holding On To Heaven,” scored the gig from a chance meeting with members of the production crew at one of her shows. “I was telling them how much I loved Doctor Who and next thing they invited me to be on it!” The new series, starring Peter Capaldi, will begin in August.
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