When season 3 of LEVERAGE premieres this summer on TNT, we will meet a new character known only as "The Italian." And who did executive producer Dean Devlin cast for the role? Italian actress Elisabetta Canalis. Her character will appear in five episodes.

I can't wait for Leverage to be back, especially after last season's finale. And I am curious to find out who "The Italian" character is.

Leverage follows a gang of con artists who exact revenge against those who use power and wealth to victimize people. Academy Award® winner Timothy Hutton stars as team leader Nate Ford, with Gina Bellman, Christian Kane, Aldis Hodge and Beth Riesgraf co-starring.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

Elisabetta Canalis To Guest Star in Season 3 of LEVERAGE

The popular drama, SAVING GRACE, will return to TNT for it's final season March 29th at 10 PM. Fans have to be a little bummed that after only 3 years, the show is down to its final 9 episodes. Actually by the look of the TNT message board, they are more than a little bummed. Go here if you'd like to add your name to a petition to try and "Save Grace". So far it has a little over 4,000 names, which I don't think is going to be enough to save the show. It never hurts to try though!

If you can remember the end of last season, it ended with Grace (played by Holly Hunter) falling head first off of a very tall building (an extremely awesome way to end a season in my book) in an attempt to save the life of struggling drug addict Neely. The episode ended with Grace and the girl looking somewhat alive.

This is where Season 4 begins. When Grace and Neely don't die, Neely begins to go public about their divine intervention. This might cause some unwanted attention and skepticism that Grace isn't prepared to deal with. In Season 4, Grace explores the purpose of her life and the role god seems to play in it (and of course her angel buddy Earl has his two cents to add to this). At the same time, she must still investigate crime, help Rhetta get her life back on track and figure out her relationship with Ham. Seems like an awful lot for just 9 episodes, no?

While the end of a good series is never a fun thing, I feel like the final Season of Saving Grace will do a good job of providing closure for all their fans. Don't forget to catch the final season of Saving Grace on Marsh 29th at 10 PM/9 C on TNT.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

SAVING GRACE Season 4 Review

Watch a sneak peek of the new episode of SOUTHLAND "U-Boat" Season 2 Episode 3 airing this Tuesday March 16 on TNT(10-11 p.m. ET).

Episode Synopsis: SOUTHLAND "U-Boat" Season 2 Episode 3 - Ben winds up in a patrol unit alone for the first time. Among the cases he has to handle on his own are a missing girl and a suspected stalking case. Lydia and Rene spend the day checking in on and helping out Brianna and her baby. Over in Gangs, Gil Puente leads the task force to take down ex-banger Trinny Day, but Sal and Sammy have a hard time working with Puente. While patrolling with John, it is clear that Chickie has no command presence, but she is determined to work harder and become a good cop again.

Watch any episode of Southland that you may have missed here.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

SOUTHLAND "U-Boat" Season 2 Episode 3

Watch a sneak peek of the new episode of SOUTHLAND "Butch & Sundance" Season 2 Episode 2 airing this Tuesday March 9 on TNT(10-11 p.m. ET).

Episode Synopsis: SOUTHLAND "Butch & Sundance" Season 2 Episode 2 - John and Ben are the first responders to a gruesome triple homicide in Hancock Park, where a mother is bludgeoned to death and her young daughters are found bound, gagged, raped and dead in their bedrooms. In investigating the case, Lydia and Rene realize they have two very different styles of doing detective work. Sammy continues to have problems with his wife, who seems unable to complete even the simplest of tasks. And Ben confronts John about his increasing reliance on pain pills.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

SOUTHLAND "Butch & Sundance" Season 2 Episode 2

Watch a sneak peek of SOUTHLAND's "Phase Three" Season 2 Premiere airing this Tuesday March 2 on TNT(10-11 p.m. ET).

Episode Synopsis: SOUTHLAND "Phase Three" Season 2 Premiere - Lydia and Russell’s replacement, Rene Cordero, investigate a possible abduction of an elderly man by a known drug addict. Nate and Sammy investigate a freeway shooting and wind up threatening the integrity of a major undercover operation. And Chickie finds herself in the middle of a mini-riot after her new partner shoots at a 13-year-old boy.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

SOUTHLAND "Phase Three" Season 2 Premiere

After being cancelled by NBC, SOUTHLAND found new life and a second season on a new channel, TNT. When I heard the news, I was very excited to see this fantastic drama back on the air and couldn't wait to see the new episodes come back. Thankfully, I had an opportunity to watch the first two episode of the season, "Phase Three" and "Butch & Sundance" so I wanted to share some thoughts on it.

In the second season of Southland, you will be happy to know that the show has not lost its edge. The grittiness and realism are still ever present. The storylines vary between chilling with the case of an entire family getting butchered and amusing with Sammy's wife getting kicked out of a Sam's Club type store. This back and forth provide a wickedly satisfying blend of humor and tension that keep you glued to the screen.

The characters are also getting more established. Ben (Ben McKenzie) is coming into his own as police officer, while still struggling with his suspicion of his partner John (Michael Cudlitz)'s drug addiction. Their dynamic is slightly shifting as John is starting to treat Ben more like a partner rather than a rookie.

Chickie (Arija Bareikis), following her incident with her former alcoholic partner, is treated like a pariah by her colleagues and is saddled with the most inept of partners who actually manages to put her in danger once more. There also seems to be a spark between her and Ben that might be explored later on this season.

Lydia Adams (Regina King) is still reeling from her partner Russell Clarke (Tom Everett Scott) being shot. To make matters worse, she gets a new partner Rene Cordero (Amaury Nolasco) who she can't stand. In the first two episodes, Lydia goes through some rough moments which will include getting shot, investigating a kidnapping and a mass murder. King does a masterful job of portraying a talented detective who is struggling to keep things together under all that pressure.

Nate and Sammy (Kevin Alejandro and Shawn Hatosy) are also in the mist of trying to protect their star witness while also dealing their ever so complicated personal lives. Nate with his sister/daughter still wanting to find her mother and Sammy with his less than cooperative wife.

Finally Sal (Michael McGrady) who was caught cheating by his daughter is also having a hard time keeping things rolling smoothly, especially when his daughter starts experimenting with drugs.

Overall, if the first two episodes are any indication, this season of Southland will be fantastic and should really captivate your attention. So don't forget to tune in tomorrow Tuesday, March 2 at 10 p.m. on TNT.

You can also read our interviews with some of the cast: Michael Cudlitz, Ben McKenzie, and Tom Everett Scott.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

SOUTHLAND Season 2 Debut Review

I recently got a chance to speak with Michael Cudlitz, who plays Officer John Cooper, on TNT's Southland.

Michael Cudlitz talked about what's coming up for his character in the second season, the evolution of the relationship between John and Ben, his preparation process as an actor, and much more. So enjoy the interview and don't forget to tune in to Southland when it returns for its second season on March 2 at 10pm on TNT.

Let's talk about the transition from NBC to TNT. How crazy is that?

Michael Cudlitz: It's crazy. It's awesome. I've never felt so much love. It breaks my heart.

I think it's a fitting show for TNT.

Michael Cudlitz: I think so, too. Absolutely.

Let's talk about what coming up for your character this season.

Michael Cudlitz: Oh, all kinds of stuff.

I saw the first two episodes and they were great.

Michael Cudlitz: And that's how it going to be kind of revealed. It's all going to unfold in small doses. You can see this relationship between Ben [McKenzie] and I evolve and change, sort of the darkness that we're both dealing with in the family stuff and the emotional issues and physical issues. Obviously that stuff is going to get worse before it gets better. For me specifically, John starts going down a real dark road or I should say continues going down a dark road and he's going to need to at some point address that. We'll see the beginnings of that and how it affects him and how it affects everyone around him. So it's really, really exciting and Anne [Biderman] does a phenomenal job of revealing these different layers of all the characters so we're excited to see the new episodes and then to see where it takes us when TNT picks us up.

I like that you're saying 'when they pick us up' –

Michael Cudlitz: It's really all a formality. Obviously they need to make sure like any show that people are watching and once that's really proved, once the new episodes air we're all fine.

Can you talk about the relationship between John and Ben and how that evolves and especially now that Ben is going through phase three of his training?

Michael Cudlitz: That's the natural progression of the show. People forget that when the show starts Ben is just out of the Academy. He's never been in a patrol car before and he meets his training his officer, who's me, and it's my job to break him. If I can break him then he's breakable and he's of no use to us. That's my job as a training officer. That's not who I am. But early on we don't care who I am. I'm just doing my job. I don't want to show that to the audience. You get glimpses of it when you see me off duty drinking in the bar that there is another John Cooper that we'll get to know but at the very beginning he's a training officer.
As we grow with the relationship between he and Ben, the rookie, the training softens because it doesn't need to be as intense and as hard as it is now because he's learned those things that he needs to learn from that intensity. As it softens then we become more partners than the sort of teacher/student relationship. That's still there but the dynamic of it changes because he's starting to learn what he has to do and he's starting to have more command presence and really fill the shoes of what it takes to be an active patrol officer in the LAPD. Within the car you'll see that I never change because as much as John Cooper would like to say that he's different from this kid you realize that they have more in common than what's different about them. You'll see that there comes a point, well it's headed to it whether we see it as much as we should have this season, you'll see that their relationship changes and John actually needs Ben. So it's a really cool dynamic and it keeps shifting and growing and the more that Ben thinks he knows the more he keeps getting slapped back into place with what he doesn't know. It's very, very cool.

I wanted to talk about John's pill problem and the fact that Ben is getting suspicious of that.

Michael Cudlitz: Oh, absolutely, yeah. That's something that's going to get worse before it gets better because John is in the position of power and so Ben can't really say or do anything. John says one thing though and does another, like most people in the world. So we're going to see that unfold slowly because the problem does get worse and the problem will start to affect him on the job. It does not necessarily affect at this point how he's doing his job but it will take a toll and we'll see that as the new episodes unfold.

That's such fun drama.

Michael Cudlitz: Yeah, it's awesome.

It's almost draws a parallel with Officer Dewey who goes insane in the season premiere.

Michael Cudlitz: Interesting, yeah. John seems to have all the answers for Officer Dewey but he doesn't seem to have any of the answers for himself. So we'll see where that goes.

What about John's personal life, anything coming up for him there?

Michael Cudlitz: Well, everybody; we're going to go further into everyone's personal life and everyone is going to be dealing with their relationships, including John. Not too much in the next six that we're going to see but we're definitely headed into a relationship direction.

So there's a possibility of him getting into a serious relationship?

Michael Cudlitz: There's a possibility of him becoming involved in a relationship. I don't know how serious John is going to get with any one individual. He's dealing with a lot of stuff, a lot of baggage. John is lonely.

Will his sexuality be revealed to the people he works with?

Michael Cudlitz: It's going to be dealt with the same way that it's been. There are people who will know and have always known that he's gay and there will be people who will deny it right up until we smack them in the face with it which at some point we will.

Can you talk about how you prepare for an episode of the show as an actor, what is your process?

Michael Cudlitz: Well, the character work is ongoing. We're training all the time and for me that's where a lot of the stuff is grounded in because the show doesn't work if the cop stuff doesn't work. So there's a lot of training that we do to look like we're LAPD and when we're on set and we do something wrong we have advisors who will help us and correct us and show us what's right. We work with those advisors off set as well.
The actual episodes, when they get episodes, for me and for everyone the process is different. We shoot differently on this show than on most shows. We're completely off book for every episode when we shoot it which means that you have everything memorized before you show up to set everyday. Now some people might say, 'Well, of course. That's your job.' Well, yes, to a degree but when you're working on a network television series like TNT or CBS or NBC you're doing back to back episodes and are working a lot of those days back to back and you have a lot of material. So what happens is that you will sometimes be working on two episodes, three episodes at a time. So you'll be very familiar with what you're doing that day but you really don't learn it until you get to do it and until you get to rehearse it that morning. That's what happens on a typical show because the workload is so big.
On our show Chris Chulack does not want us to have any of the sides which are usually mini-versions of the scripts, just little sections of the work that we're doing that day. It's kind of an industry standard with how people work, but we don't have those on our set. You show up ready to go and that's it.
We shoot practical locations. We will very often rehearse on film and you just go. We get these wonderful reactions from the crowd when we have these wonderful and spontaneous moments that happen.
From what I understand 'Friday Night Lights' shoots very similar as well. There's an immediacy and an intimacy that happens when you shoot that way, when you're rehearsing and when you discover a scene for the first time. I think that's one of the elements that makes 'Southland' stand apart from any other TV show that's out there.

I was going to say that 'Friday Night Lights' sounds similar to that, as well.

Michael Cudlitz: Yeah. I've met Kyle Chandler, about a year ago, and we were talking about the show and he was like, 'I have to come by the next time I come to town.' I think he says he needs to stop by because he knows Chris and he said, 'It sounds like you guys work the same way that we do.' We were talking about how wonderful and immediate it is. So that being said I get a script and I basically start going through it and see where the character is going to go and see if there are any scenes that stick out that I have a problem with or love or whatever, if there are certain favorite things. You try to place everything in your mind, where you think it's going to go and how you think you're going to approach it and then you just work through it.
On a series it's very different because you're coming from where you just were meaning it's not like a movie that stands alone or that whatever you do just stands alone. In a series, whatever you do prior you have to make sure that you grab a hold of that and bring it with you into the next episode so that you're not playing things completely different or completely out of character unless that's your choice.
So I try to work over in my head what I think the scene is about or how I think I want to play it and then when I show up to work, obviously, whoever you're working with they've done the same thing and the director has his own idea and all of that comes together on set and a third or fourth thing that none of you have even thought of comes out of that. That's what usually lives onscreen.

Can you talk about some of your upcoming projects?

Michael Cudlitz: I don't have anything that's coming out right now except for 'Southland'. I was just in Bruce Willis's 'Surrogates' that just came out. This process on 'Southland' has been going on now, we're about sixteen or eighteen months into it and it's really consumed me to a degree. I have a lot of stuff in the works just like a lot of actors. Everything is pending. I finished a film in December up in Oregon called 'Rogue River' which is a little independent horror movie that a friend of mine produced. That's about it.

You've guest starred on a lot of shows but is there one that you'd like to guest star on that you haven't had a chance to yet?

Michael Cudlitz: Yeah, 'The Tudors'. I love that show.

The last season is coming up so you have to get on there quick.

Michael Cudlitz: I know, I know, but it's probably not going to happen because they shoot it all overseas and they only use English, Irish and Welsh actors.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

MICHAEL CUDLITZ (Southland) Exclusive Interview

Watch a sneak peek of the season finale of the TNT series MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE "Back in the S#!t" Episode 10 airing Monday February 22 at 10/8c on TNT.

Episode Synopsis: MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE "Back in the S#!t" Episode 10 - Feeling guilty about his rapid downward spiral, which includes out of control gambling and having to cut back on staff at his store, Joe decides to stop gambling. Owen finds a new sense of purpose when he goes to work for a rival auto dealership following his father’s decision to turn management over to Marcus. And Terry’s life spins out of control when his gig on a movie results in disasters at the apartment complex he manages.

Read all our Men of a Certain Age coverage here.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE "Back in the S#!t" Episode 10 (Season Finale)

I recently got a chance to talk to Tom Everett Scott who plays Detective Russell Clarke on TNT's Southland.

As you guys know, last season ended with Detective Russell Clarke getting shot by his neighbor, and his fate was left unknown. As you probably guessed, Russell is back in season two, but he is in rehabilitation from his injuries, which leads him to deal with some new issues.

Tom Everett Scott talked about what's coming up for Russell Clarke this season, his character's relationship with Lydia, some of the new projects he has coming up, and much more. So enjoy the interview and don't forget to tune in to Southland when it returns for its second season on March 2 at 10pm.

Can you talk about some of the differences from being on NBC and now on TNT?

Tom Everett Scott: Well, I think ultimately it's just important that the show got an opportunity to continue to be seen and I'm just happy that TNT is so supportive of it and promoting it. Hopefully that just continues on that way.

Your character got shot last season but since I'm talking to you it's safe to say you're back. So can you talk about what's coming up for Detective Russell Clarke?

Tom Everett Scott: Yeah. That was a real shocker. I didn't know that I was going to get shot. It just makes it more difficult for my character to return to police work which I think he really wants to do. He probably didn't realize until he wasn't able to get back to it how important it was to him and it changes his relationship with his partner, Lydia. They do really care about each other. They've probably known each other for a while and have worked long hours side by side and so it's just kind of rocked their world and you get to see that taking place.

You mentioned the relationship with Lydia. Is that going to become more of a romantic thing or is it going to stay professional?

Tom Everett Scott: Well, not to my knowledge, that it'll be a romantic thing. I haven't heard anything like that. I've heard other people who have seen the new episodes wonder about that but I think that they just truly care about each other. There's something that passes between them in that first new episode, at the very end before she breaks down. It's tough to look at each other and kind of face the truth, the hard reality of being shot and being out of commission. It's very difficult. So that's really what's going on there.

Do you think he'll get back into the force or do you not know that yet?

Tom Everett Scott: I do know. I just don't know if I want say. I don't think that I'm even allowed to but all I know is that that's the challenge that's facing him.

So we do find out if he goes back or not, right?

Tom Everett Scott: Uh huh.

What about his wife, what's going on there?

Tom Everett Scott: That marriage is just a little rocky and that doesn't even begin to describe it. I don't think they have any kind of patch up. I don't think that it ever gets any better but we'll see.

Is she at all involved with his rehabilitation or do we not see that?

Tom Everett Scott: Yeah. She comes to the hospital. She's there when Lydia comes, when she's there one time but it's not a good thing. They're definitely not getting along. Even before the shooting they weren't really understanding each other's needs at all. This just kind of makes it even harder.

Is your character going to interact with some of the other characters at the hospital?

Tom Everett Scott: No, not really. Mostly you see just Lydia and Russell dealing with this situation.

Is there a character on the show that you'd really like to have a scene with that you haven't yet?

Tom Everett Scott: Working with Regina King is more than enough for me in terms of us having a blast working together. It's not like I'm needing to change it up but we all get along really well and so it would be fun to go do some scenes with Shawn Hatosy or Kevin Alejandro. I've done a few with Michael [Cudlitz].

Who's you're your favorite character on the show apart form yours?

Tom Everett Scott: Lydia is my favorite character. I thought that the first time I saw the show. I was like, 'I think she's the most interesting character.' I play opposite her so maybe I'm biased but I just think she's a great actress and just brings a great humanity to her role. I just feel for her.

As an actor how do you prepare for this character and now with season two how do you prepare for the back story and his getting shot and all of that?

Tom Everett Scott: Yeah. It's kind of upsetting for the character and for me as an actor. It's like, 'Oh, man, now I have to limp? Now I have to walk with a cane?' When they say it's time for lunch they're going to get their first and I'm going to get their last. That's fine. That's all right. I'm just kidding. I prepare for it the way that I would prepare for anything. It'll be a challenge but I like that.

Do you have a specific ritual that you go through when you get a script?

Tom Everett Scott: Yeah. If I identify with something and if I'm fortunate enough to get cast in a role I just immediately start trying to do as much research on the character, on what he does for a living and learn about it, learn as much as I can and get all those kinds of things together so that it makes the acting so much easier.

Can you talk about some of you upcoming projects coming out?

Tom Everett Scott: I just did a movie called 'Tanner Hall' that was at the Toronto Film Festival and should be coming out pretty soon and I did one called 'Mars Needs Moms' which is a motion capture kids movie with Seth Green and Joan Cusack.

Do you know when that's coming out?

Tom Everett Scott: I have no idea. I really don't. That's terrible. You'd think that I'd be better about it. I honestly don't know about 'Tanner Hall' but I bet it'd be pretty easy to find out when 'Mars Meets Mom' comes out.

What about 'Storage'?

Tom Everett Scott: I just finished that and it was called 'Storage'. I think the new title is called 'After The Rise'. That's a low budget independent but I hear that it looks really good so I'm keeping my fingers crossed hoping that gets out to some festivals and gets some distribution and gets seen.

I see that you also did a short that you directed and wrote called 'Glock'?

Tom Everett Scott: Yeah, me and my friend Michael McMillian wrote the script. It's a short movie, only twelve minutes long and I produced it with him and I directed it and I played the lead guy. I just kind of got a bunch of my friends to contribute on it. I got some people to do some pretty big favors on that one and we just had a lot of fun. We went to a bunch of film festivals and I'm really proud of it. It was a lot of work for twelve minutes of screen time but it made me want to do more. Write more and do that side of the business.

Would you be interested in directing, say, an episode of 'Southland'?

Tom Everett Scott: I think I would love to direct more, whether it was an episode or something else. Certainly I'd be definitely interested in.

Have you talked to the producers about that yet?

Tom Everett Scott: Oh, no, no. I don't think that I'm quite there yet with my experience because that's a pretty complex show. There's a lot going on there. There are stunts and heavy drama. I need to work up to that. I need to do like a thirty six minute short and work my way up.

If you could guest star on any other show which one would it be?

Tom Everett Scott: That's a good question. I like that. I think it'd be fun to be on 'Mad Men' and do that period thing with the smoking all those cigarettes. I don't smoke though so it'd have to be one of those fake cigarettes like the chewing gum ones. I also really like that show 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'. That would be fun.

Those are completely different genres.

Tom Everett Scott: Yeah. 'Curb Your Enthusiasm', I'm such a fan and it makes me laugh so hard and it's also so awkward that sometimes I have to close my eyes. He just gets in such awkward situations.

Are you more comfortable with comedy or drama?

Tom Everett Scott: I kind of like both. There should be a little bit of comedy in everything or else it'd be so boring. They're both good and they're both hard, too.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

TOM EVERETT SCOTT (Southland) Exclusive Interview

I recently got a chance to speak to Ben McKenzie, who plays Officer Ben Sherman in TNT's Southland, which premiere its second season on March 2 at 10pm.

Ben McKenzie talked about the big movie from NBC to TNT, what's coming up for his character, some possible new romantic interests for his character, and more. So enjoy the interview and don't forget to watch Southland on March 2.

Lets talk about the big move from NBC to TNT. How do you feel about that?

Ben McKenzie: It is exciting. We're excited to be on and to have a nice home at TNT where they really want us to succeed and are great about promoting the show. So far so good and we'll just see what happens. We have to see if people tune in March but if they do then hopefully we can be on TNT for a long time to come.

It seems like a really good fit compared to the other shows on there.

Ben McKenzie: Yeah.

Any other differences you've noticed, maybe in shooting an episode, with TNT versus NBC?

Ben McKenzie: Well, we haven't shot new episodes for TNT. TNT bought what aired on NBC in the spring of '09 and then the new episodes that we shot before we were cancelled. So we haven't shot anything for TNT yet but if we do, when we do I think it'll be great. I think they'll let us make the show that we always wanted to make and never really could on network TV. But that remains to be seen, whether we get to do that or not.

I saw the first two episodes of this new season. Your character is moving to phase three this season so what does that mean for him and what's going to change in his day to day life?

Ben McKenzie: Well, it's a maturation process. Phrase three in a sense is just a symbol of the fact that he's made some progress. It's an important milestone in his journey as a rookie. But it's just another step in the process and I think what's nice about following this character is that it allows the audience to kind of, he's the fresh eyes to the world when you first come into the pilot and then as you go along you start to follow him and you start to understand how he's always going to be tested and there are always going to be new challenges and you kind of fall in love with that heroes' journey of it all. No matter how far he rises over the course of the show, whether he goes on to be a detective or join the brass or a lieutenant or whatever, he's always going to have challenges both in his job and in his personal life. I think it's cool. I think it's a nice long form kind of take on one specific character's journey.
As for me in this season, he's a little more experienced, a little bit more confident but he's also almost in danger of being overconfident, thinking that he knows too much and getting himself in over his head. He will on occasion have that trouble. Getting into phase three means that he's getting close to being able to go out on the streets by himself without his training officer and you'll see that in the third episode of the show and that's a big deal. That's him learning to be a man on his own in the world. That's a big deal.

In episode two there's a great scene where he goes to dinner with his sister and some of her friends and you notice how different the worlds they live in are. Is this going to be a recurring theme? Is he going to become more distant from his family and friends and get closer to the people on the force who know what he's going through?

Ben McKenzie: Yeah, I think you're right. I think there will always be that push/pull between the people that he grew up with and his family members, who he obviously has some affection for, but as he goes deeper and deeper into being a cop he has less and less to talk to them about. He's less able to relate to them and they're less able to relate to him and he starts to really develop an affinity for the other cops on the force. He starts to see them more as his companions and his compatriots as opposed to the folks that still live in that bubble of Beverly Hills and Bel Air. But I think that'll just be something that he's dealing with overall and won't mean that he turns his back completely on his family. It'll just mean that it'll be more and more difficult for him to find any peace in that world of Beverly Hills where he knows on a certain level it'll always ring false to him. It'll always be fake, almost sort of grotesque. The way that they talk about the family that was murdered that he just saw that morning is so flippant and so done for entertainment value and done as a piece of gossip. It's like talking about whatever, Paris Hilton or Britney Spears or whatever. It's putting these terrible murders in the same breath as those things and it's just deeply unsettling. I think it makes him feel incredible uncomfortable. It sets him off from another group in his life and he's a solitary guy to begin with but when he's at the dinner table with his family it's not a good sign.

You talked about his relationship with Cooper. How is their relationship evolving in season two?

Ben McKenzie: Well, what's interesting about these two guys, I've always thought it's interesting that two people who couldn't be more different personality wise are forced to be in a car together for six months. And because they're forced to be in a car together they actually begin to respect each other and even like each other.
At the end of this they even start to at least become amused by each other's personalities. I'm amused by his hard ass, unrepentant take on the world which is occasionally so extreme that it's kind of comical. He's constantly giving me grief and I think amused by how much money I come from and why in hell I would do a job like this that's so difficult, why would I sign up for this willingly. So it's kind of a cool dynamic that evolves between the two of us and then as we get into the season you'll see a little bit more of us opening up to each other and talking about our personal lives more and understanding more about his use of pills as well as his sexual orientation.
I think it's kind of nice that it's not a smooth trajectory where each episode gets a little bit closer and they get a little closer to each other. It's not that kind of standard thing. It's very stop and start, very push and pull. They'll take two steps forward and then take three steps back and then a few more forward and a few more back. They're constantly kind of moment to moment and scene to scene, at each other's throats in one scene and then finding a moment of peace later. But over time they at least develop respect for each other and admiration for their differences.

What about Sherman's love life? Are there some new romantic interests coming up?

Ben McKenzie: There are some romantic interests. I think we're still searching for the right person for him to have a long term thing with. I would like them to find that and I keep kind of asking them to do so but in the meantime there are some short term deals that we'll get into, sort of sexual situations I guess you would say. There are two love affairs but I think it's important to include that element in the show, not only is it good TV but it's realistic to the release that cops need after a very intense and traumatic day on the job. They need someone there at the end of the night to give them some relief, either in a marriage or a long term thing or in a short term thing. You need to release some of that tension. We'll see some of that as we go along.

How do you prepare for the role of Ben Sherman? Is there a process that you go through when you get a script? What about your relationship with Michael Cudlitz, how does that help in creating the character?

Ben McKenzie: Michael [Cudlitz] and I just have a real friendship. In addition to working on the show together we just sort of get along. I think we're both pretty straightforward, no nonsense, no diva-esque behavior kind of guys. We appreciate that about each other. So that makes it a lot easier to do the work when you don't have any of that drama around you because that always makes it a bit more difficult. We also aren't competing with each other. We're in different places in our lives and neither of us is a threat to the other in terms of taking the glamour away from the other. It works pretty great. In terms of training for the show, a lot of that was helped by the training that they offered us with the ride-alongs with the cops, the boot camp that we did. Going to the firing range and working on handcuffing skills and searching rooms and running through various sort of improvisational tactical exercises where we would be given a situation and have to act it out as cops, playing our various parts. It was all really useful and the nice part is that it's ongoing. Any time we get the urge we can just call up our technical advisors who are actually ex-LAPD and they can hook us up with a ride-along in most parts of the city. We can just have another night out with the cops.

So you can cuff someone now?

Ben McKenzie: Oh, yeah. I can cuff. I can't un-cuff you but I can totally cuff.

Do you have any other upcoming projects that you can talk about?

Ben McKenzie: I could if I had any but I don't. We've been in this kind of limbo thing with 'Southland' for a long time. So I'm waiting to get some clarity on that. There's a movie in particular that I'm attached to but I don't think it's happening unfortunately. So fortunately or unfortunately I'm on my own here but I'm optimistic that the show will go forward and we'll be on TNT for a while and that'll be the job.

Is there a show that you'd love to be a guest star on?

Ben McKenzie: I'd love to do '30 Rock'. I think that show is hilarious and I think it'd be really fun. I don't generally get to do comedy but I would love to do some. It just seems like a hell of a lot of fun to do. That's my desire. Make it happen Tina Fey.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

BEN MCKENZIE (Southland) Exclusive Interview

Watch a sneak peek ofLEVERAGE "The Maltese Falcon Job" Season 2 Episode 15 which aired Wednesday February 17 2010 at 9/8c on TNT.

Episode Synopsis: LEVERAGE "The Maltese Falcon Job" Season 2 Episode 15 - Surrounded by FBI, the team decides to hide in plain sight, while continuing to take down the corrupt mayor and his gunrunning partner. Little do they suspect that Nate has a different endgame in mind for them all.

Also watch any Leverage episode here.

(Photos: Darren Michaels/TNT)

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LEVERAGE "The Maltese Falcon Job" Season 2 Episode 15

Watch a sneak peek ofLEVERAGE "The Three Strikes Job" Season 2 Episode 14 which aired Wednesday February 10 2010 at 9/8c on TNT.

Episode Synopsis: LEVERAGE "The Three Strikes Job" Season 2 Episode 14 - While trying to take down a corrupt local mayor exploiting his love of baseball, the LEVERAGE team runs into an unexpected complication.

Also watch any Leverage episode here.

(Photos: Darren Michaels/TNT)

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

LEVERAGE "The Three Strikes Job" Season 2 Episode 14

Check out photos of an upcoming of the TNT series MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE "How to Be an All-Star" Episode 9 airing Monday February 15 at 10/8c on TNT.

Episode Synopsis: MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE "How to Be an All-Star" Episode 9 - Joe is desperate to buy a house after his son's anxiety issues worsen. Terry must face the dire condition of his acting career when he meets a successful buddy from his past. At the dealership, Owen and the sales team confront a particularly tough customer.

Read all our Men of a Certain Age coverage here.

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MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE "How to Be an All-Star" Episode 9

Watch a sneak peek ofLEVERAGE "The Future Job" Season 2 Episode 13 which aired Wednesday February 3 2010 at 9/8c on TNT. Luke Perry guest stars.

Episode Synopsis: LEVERAGE "The Future Job" Season 2 Episode 13 - The team goes after a con man masquerading as a psychic medium (guest star Luke Perry) in order to drain the life savings of his bereaved clients.

Also watch any Leverage episode here.

(Photos: Darren Michaels/TNT)

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

LEVERAGE "The Future Job" Season 2 Episode 13

Watch a sneak peek of an upcoming of the TNT series MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE "You Gonna Do That The Rest of Your Life?" Episode 8 airing Monday February 1st at 10/8c on TNT.

Episode Synopsis: MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE "You Gonna Do That The Rest of Your Life?" Episode 8 - Joe's bookie finds out Joe used to be a professional golfer and decides to use him to hustle a couple of guys. Owen's family becomes concerned over his increasing weight. And Terry gets a new apartment, but the apartment manager job that comes with it is a bit much to handle.

Read all our Men of a Certain Age coverage here.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE "You Gonna Do That The Rest of Your Life?" Episode 8

Check out great photos ofLEVERAGE "The Zanzibar Marketplace Job" Season 2 Episode 12 which aired Wednesday January 20 2010 at 9/8c on TNT.

Episode Synopsis: LEVERAGE "The Zanzibar Marketplace Job" Season 2 Episode 12 - The team is forced to work with their old enemy Sterling in order to free Nate’s ex-wife, Maggie (guest star Kari Matchett) from a Ukrainian jail and clear her name.

Also watch any Leverage episode here.

(Photos: Darren Michaels/TNT)

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

LEVERAGE "The Zanzibar Marketplace Job" Season 2 Episode 12

Watch a sneak peek of an upcoming of the new TNT series MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE "Father's Fraternity" Episode 7 airing Monday January 25 at 10/8c on TNT.

Episode Synopsis: MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE "Father's Fraternity" Episode 7 - Joe goes to see his retired father (guest star Robert Loggia), who gives new meaning to the word grumpy. Owen’s wife and mother get upset when a commercial for the auto dealership implies that Owen’s co-worker, Marcus, is actually Owen Sr.’s son. And Terry becomes obsessed over finding out why he has been rejected for a youth mentoring program.

Read all our Men of a Certain Age coverage here.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE "Father's Fraternity" Episode 7

Take a first look at Noah Wyle in TNT's new Untitled Alien-Invasion Series, which comes from DreamWorks Television and is being executive-produced by Steven Spielberg, along with DreamWorks Television heads Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank and screenwriter Robert Rodat.

The series opens shortly after aliens have wiped out most of the human population. The aliens are now rounding up the few people left, but they are met with strong resistance from a group of soldiers and civilians who fight for their survival – all while struggling to maintain their humanity.
Noah Wyle plays Tom Mason, a former college history professor who becomes the reluctant leader of one of the resistance groups.
Also starring in the series are Moon Bloodgood (Terminator Salvation) as Anne Glass, a therapist who works with the surviving children to help them cope with the traumatic situation; Drew Roy (Lincoln Heights) as Hal and Maxim Knight (Brothers & Sisters) as Matt, Tom's two sons; Jessy Schram (Crash) as Karen, who is one of the survivors' motorcycle scouts; and Seychelle Gabriel (Weeds) as Lourdes, an orphaned teenager who helps run the group's commissary.

This is probably the new TNT series I am looking forward to the most. I mean aliens, Noah Wyle, and Steven Spielberg, it has to be a recipe for success, right?

TNT has ordered 10 episodes of the series and plans to premiere it in 2011. You can see a larger version of the Noah Wyle photo by clicking on the thumbnail below.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

Noah Wyle in TNT's Alien-Invasion Series First Look

Take a first look at Jason Lee in TNT's new original series, DELTA BLUES (working title), from George Clooney and Grant Heslov's Smokehouse Pictures and Warner Horizon Television.

In DELTA BLUES, Lee plays Dwight Hendricks, a Memphis police officer who lives with his mother. His intimate connection with the city and its people sets him apart from his fellow officers. Woodard plays Lt. Tanya Rice, a demanding boss determined to keep Dwight on a short leash. Also starring in DELTA BLUES are Celia Weston (Junebug) as Dwight's mother; Sam Hennings as Charlie White, aka Whitehead, his partner; Robyn Lively (Saving Grace) as Charlene, Dwight's ex-wife; Leonard Earl Howze (Barbershop) as Reginald Greenback, a detective who works with Dwight and Whitehead; Abraham Benrubi (ER), a detective who uses Chickasaw tribal wisdom in his work; and DJ Qualls (My Name Is Earl) as Sutton, Dwight's protégé.

This show has a few things going for it, 1) it stars Jason Lee, 2) George Clooney is a producer, 3) it's on TNT. I'm a fan of pretty much every TNT show, so I have very high expectations for this one as well.

TNT has ordered 10 episodes of Delta Blues and plans to premiere it in 2010. You can see the full photo of Jason Lee below.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

DELTA BLUES First Look with Jason Lee

Take a first look at Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander in TNT's new original series, RIZZOLI & ISLES (working title), which is based on Tess Gerritsen's popular mystery novels.

In RIZZOLI & ISLES, Angie Harmon plays Jane Rizzoli, a Boston detective who works closely with medical examiner Maura Isles (Sasha Alexander) to solve crimes. Lorraine Bracco (The Sopranos) plays a recurring role as Jane's mother. Also starring in the series are Lee Thompson Young (FlashForward), who plays Jane's current partner, Barry Frost; Bruce McGill (Law Abiding Citizen) as Det. Vince Korsak, Jane's seasoned former partner; Jordan Bridges (Dawson's Creek) as Jane's brother, Frankie, a patrol cop who hopes to become a detective; and Billy Burke (The Twilight Saga) as FBI agent Gabriel Dean.

Here is another TNT series that I am looking forward to. This also looks like it could be another show featuring two strong female leads.

TNT has ordered 10 episodes of Rizzoli & Isles and plans to premiere it in 2010. You can take a look at another photo from Rizzoli & Isles below.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

RIZZOLI & ISLES First Look with Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander