Casting announcements apparently aren’t going to slow down between now and fall premieres. Today’s TV-Cap has news about additions to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Limitless, and The Bastard Executioner, plus clever posters for The Muppets and information on Melissa McCarthy’s new Groundlings-inspired pilot for TV Land.
Going Full Frontal. ABC’s new take on The Muppets is ready to push the envelope. The Office-style comedy features a more adult take on the characters, and new posters highlight that angle with some amusing taglines. Kermit’s poster teasing full frontal nudity is kind of the best. I would have loved to be present in the room when that idea was being discussed. See a couple more posters at /Film.
Keeping It Close. Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone have snagged a pilot order from TV Land. They’re executive producing the comedy currently titled Friends with Melissa, and it’s about and written by their pals from The Groundlings. The comedy troupe has a regularly shifting line-up — past members include names such as Phil LaMarr, Kristen Wiig, and Taran Killam. The pilot is inspired and written by Groundlings’ Hugh Davidson, Larry Dorf, and Rachel Ramras. The plot follows members of the group who see their friends leave to star in films while they’re stuck writing for children’s television. [TVLine]
An Early Look. The Paley Center for Media will host their annual PaleyFest fall TV previews event this year from September 9-17. They’ll have screenings and panels featuring sneak peeks of upcoming fall premieres and one panel that’s also a goodbye — a farewell to CSI. Other series on the schedule include Undateable, Dr. Ken, and Scream Queens. View the complete schedule and purchase tickets from Paley Center.
Time for Quake. Skye is no longer Skye. She’s Daisy Johnson, and she has the haircut to prove it. Chloe Bennet shared her transformation for Season 3 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. It’s close to Daisy’s comic book style but still different. Bennet told People, “The comic book version of Daisy Johnson has very short, Miley Cyrus-esque hair. We wanted to stay true to the comic book character fans love; I wanted to please them but also make sure there was still some movement and length and sexiness in the hair.” [Nerdist]
Another Agent. Speaking of S.H.I.E.L.D., they’ve just added a new actor in a recurring role for Season 3. Andrew Howard (Bates Motel) is joining the cast as Banks. According to Deadline, Banks is “an authoritative and intimidating agent.” I feel like being authoritative and intimidating should be a basic requirement in every agent’s job description. [Deadline]
More for the Collection. There are a ton of episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and because of the high number of ’em and license juggling, it’s not straightforward to release every episode on DVD. But, Shout! Factory is getting installments out there, and volume 33 (Mystery Science Theater 3000 Vol. XXXIII) is available as of today. It has four episodes and a few extras. Get details about the episodes in the new collection right this way.
Different Faces. The promotional material for NBC’s Heroes Reborn has highlighted some returning cast members (like Noah Bennet), but mostly, it’s about the newcomers. A poster (admittedly not the most exciting poster I’ve ever seen) emphasizes “a new phenomenon begins.” The event series will debut on September 24th. [Comic Book Resources]
A Caretaker of Sorts. The always riveting Colin Salmon (Arrow) has signed on for a recurring role in CBS’s Limitless. That’s the TV series inspired by the movie starring Bradley Cooper. Salmon will play Jared Sands, a fixer who works with Cooper’s Eddie Mora. According to Deadline, Sands “keeps tabs on Finch [Mora’s new protege], making sure the man is doing exactly what Mora asks.” [Digital Spy]
Chart-Topper to Medieval Man. Kurt Sutter’s 14th century drama The Bastard Executioner has added a cast member you might not expect: singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. He’ll be playing Sir Cormac in the series. The character is ambitious and deadly and that fits right into the show’s bloody premise. Also, he’s a “Sir,” so he’s extra fancy. [The Hollywood Reporter]
Which of the new posters for The Muppets is your favorite? Let me know in the comments.
