[Press Release - Released by TNT]

Jason Lee Takes Starring Role in TNT Pilot DELTA BLUES

Offbeat Drama from Smokehouse Pictures and Warner Horizon Television
Being Executive-Produced by George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Writer Liz M. Garcia

Jason Lee, who starred for four seasons in the critically acclaimed comedy My Name Is Earl, has been cast in the lead role of the TNT pilot DELTA BLUES. He will play Dwight Hendricks, a Memphis police officer who lives with his mother and moonlights as an Elvis impersonator.

The pilot for DELTA BLUES, which comes to TNT from George Clooney and Grant Heslov's Smokehouse Pictures and Warner Horizon Television, will be directed by Emmy® nominee Clark Johnson (The Shield) from a script by Liz M. Garcia (Cold Case) and actor Joshua Harto (The Dark Knight). Clooney, Heslov and Garcia serve as executive producers. Henry Bronchtein (The Sopranos) and Smokehouse's Abby Wolf-Weiss are co-executive producers, and Harto is a producer. Johnson will also receive an executive-producer credit for the pilot.

"Jason Lee is the ideal choice to bring the compelling, off-kilter Dwight Hendricks to life," said Michael Wright, executive vice president, head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). "With extraordinary talent in front of and behind the camera, along with an outstanding script, DELTA BLUES is shaping up to be a hugely entertaining show and a great fit with our lineup of original dramas."

Lee's career includes two Golden Globe® nominations and two Screen Actors Guild Award® nominations for his starring role as Earl Hickey on the hit comedy series My Name Is Earl. Lee also served as a producer on the show, which followed a hapless crook who, determined to change his karma, sets out to right all the wrongs he inflicted on people.

Lee has completed production on Kevin Smith's latest feature, A Couple of Dicks. The film revolves around a pair of cops, played by Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan, who track down a stolen baseball card, rescue a Mexican beauty and deal with gangsters and laundered drug money. The film is scheduled to be released Feb. 26, 2010, by Warner Bros.

Lee previously starred as Dave Seville, the songwriter/father-figure to singing chipmunks in the blockbuster Alvin and the Chipmunks, which grossed over $350 million worldwide. He has a cameo in the upcoming Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, set to be released Dec. 23, 2009, by Fox 2000 Pictures.

This past summer, Lee filmed the independent thriller Columbus Circle. The story, written by Kevin Pollack, centers on a reclusive heiress in an upscale Manhattan apartment building who is brought face-to-face with her fears when a detective shows up to investigate a homicide that occurred in the apartment next door. Lee and Amy Smart play a couple who end up moving into the now empty apartment. Columbus Circle is directed by George Gallo (Bad Boys) and stars Selma Blair and Giovanni Ribisi.

Lee is represented by manager Gay Ribisi, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment and attorney Ken Richman.

Warner Horizon Television (WHTV) is one of the entertainment industry's fastest-growing television companies, specializing in the creation of scripted series for the cable marketplace, and primetime reality series for both network and cable. Founded in 2006, this second production entity allows the Warner Bros. Television Group to expand its programming offerings and explore creative options made possible under a new business model. WHTV is producing more than a dozen series for broadcast and cable networks in 2009–2010.

TNT, one of cable's top-rated networks, is television's destination for drama and home to such original series as the acclaimed and highly popular detective drama The Closer, starring Kyra Sedgwick; Saving Grace, starring Holly Hunter; HawthoRNe, with Jada Pinkett Smith; Leverage, starring Timothy Hutton; Raising the Bar, with Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gloria Reuben and Jane Kaczmarek; and Dark Blue, starring Dylan McDermott, as well as the newly acquired Southland, from ER creator John Wells. TNT also presents such powerful dramas as Bones, CSI: NY and Numb3rs; broadcast premiere movies; compelling primetime specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards®; and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR and the NBA. TNT is available in high-definition.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

Jason Lee to Star in TNT's DELTA BLUES

[Press Release - Released by TNT]

Mary J. Blige, Neil Diamond, Sugarland, Rob Thomas and Usher To Ring in the Holidays with TNT's Annual Music Concert CHRISTMAS IN WASHINGTON, Hosted by George Lopez

Concert Premieres Exclusively on TNT Sunday, Dec. 20, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT)

TNT is going to ring in the holidays in musical style with its annual presentation of CHRISTMAS IN WASHINGTON, premiering Sunday, Dec. 20, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT). Mary J. Blige, Neil Diamond, Sugarland, Rob Thomas and Usher are scheduled to join host George Lopez in TNT's spectacular holiday celebration.

"We take pride in presenting CHRISTMAS IN WASHINGTON each year as we bring together musical artists from a variety of genres for a fantastic holiday concert," said Michael Wright, executive vice president/head of programming for TNT, TBS and TCM. "This year, we're especially thrilled to welcome a lineup of top-name performers and an equally amazing host, George Lopez. Together, they will make this a holiday celebration to remember."

Annually attended by the President and First Lady and other Washington VIPs, CHRISTMAS IN WASHINGTON is a holiday musical celebration benefiting the National Children's Medical Center. The show will be taped at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. Sunday, Dec. 13. TNT's Dec. 20 premiere telecast will be the network's 11th presentation of CHRISTMAS IN WASHINGTON, which is in its 28th year overall. The event will be followed at 9 p.m. (ET/PT) by the network television premiere of the film The Nativity Story (2006), starring Keisha Castle-Hughes and directed by Catherine Hardwicke.

George Lopez is host of TBS's new late-night series Lopez Tonight and one of the top five highest grossing comedians in the world. His groundbreaking sitcom, George Lopez, remains a hit in syndication and helped catapult Nick at Nite to one of the top 10 cable networks. His 2009 comedy special, George Lopez: Tall, Dark and Chicano, was the highest rated stand-up special on HBO in five years. This year, Lopez received the Teen Choice Award for Favorite Comedian. Lopez's feature film career continues to thrive as well. Next year, Lopez has three films set for release: The Spy Next Door, Valentine's Day and Marmaduke.

Mary J Blige is a nine-time Grammy-winning singer and songwriter with eight multi-platinum records and more than 40 million units sold since her 1992 debut of the modern classic What's the 411. She has helped to redefine R&B and more importantly has been an artist that uses her gift of song to lift spirits and touch lives while bringing her heart, soul and truth to those who are willing to listen. She is loved for her passionate, chart-topping hits like "Be Without You," "No More Drama" and "Family Affair," all of which have made her a force in music. Blige's new album, Stronger, is due for release on Dec. 22. As a multi-faceted mogul, Blige owns Matriarch Records, which produced the soundtrack for the heavily buzzed about film Precious – Based on the Novel Push By Sapphire, and co-owns Carol's Daughter along with Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith and Jay-Z. Blige has worked her celebrity in the world of philanthropy, from starting with the M-A-C AIDS Fund as a spokesperson to starting her own foundation, The Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now (FFAWN), which she co-found with Steve Stoute in 2008. FFAWN focuses on inspiring women of all walks of life to reach their full potential and is based in her hometown of Yonkers, N.Y. She recently partnered with Gucci on a charity watch, with the limited-edition black PVD twirl watch that features a face framed in black diamonds sold to benefit FFAWN. Blige has brokered a multitude of endorsement deals with companies that have sought her out to bring value to their products. Campaigns include working with such high-powered brands as AT&T, Apple, M-A-C and Chevrolet. She will soon begin to promote her own product lines that include a selection of sunglasses, starting with the Melody line and a Fragrance called My Life. One who's star never fails to shine, Blige has become more involved with her TV and film career. She most recently was a part of the cast for Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad By Myself and has appeared on such hit TV shows as 30 Rock and Entourage. Her own Matriarch Entertainment, home to Matriarch Records, has also formed a TV and film component that has begun developing projects.

Neil Diamond, whose most recent releases include A Cherry Cherry Christmas, Hot August Night NYC and the critically acclaimed #1 album Home Before Dark, has been a fixture in the music world for over four decades. This summer, CBS aired a primetime special featuring performances from his hugely popular Hot August Night NYC Live from Madison Square Garden DVD, which won the night in ratings. He has sold more than 125 million albums worldwide, with a remarkable track record of 16 Top 10 albums and 37 Top 10 singles. A Grammy-winning artist, Diamond has been inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame and is a recipient of the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award. Among his many other honors, he has received a Golden Globe® and 12 Grammy nominations, and he was named the 2009 MusiCares Person of the Year. His many chart-topping songs include "Sweet Caroline," "I Am…I Said," "Song Sung Blue," "Love on the Rocks" and "America."

Sugarland, the country duo comprised of Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush, has sold more than 8 million records since exploding onto the music scene in 2004 with Twice the Speed of Life ("Baby Girl"/"Something More"). Enjoy the Ride ("Want To"/"Settlin'"/"Stay") quickly followed in 2006, and their third studio album, Love On The Inside ("It Happens"/"Love"/"All I Want To Do"/"Already Gone") in July 2008, which skyrocketed them to superstardom and drew fans from all genres and critics abroad. Sugarland is credited with co-writing all tracks from all three albums and co-producing the last two. In August 2009, the duo offered thanks to their loyal fans with Live On The Inside, a CD/DVD set of live tracks, covers and footage from their tour. They have performed in six European countries and toured and headlined shows tirelessly. They've received trophies from the Grammys, American Music Awards, Academy of Country Music, CMT Music Awards and the Country Music Association. Nettles has performed for the Obama Presidential celebration, and the duo performed on Oprah. Their latest album is Gold And Green, a 10-track holiday collection consisting of half standards and half originals, all of which Nettles and Bush co-wrote and co-produced.

Rob Thomas is a Grammy-winning superstar who has sold more than 80 million albums and penned a remarkable string of #1 smashes, including "Her Diamonds" off his acclaimed new solo album, cradlesong, as well as "Lonely No More," "This Is How a Heart Breaks," "Ever the Same," "Streetcorner Symphony" and the Matchbox Twenty hits "Push," "3AM," "If You're Gone," "Bent," "Disease" and "Unwell," to name a few. In 1999, Thomas' smash collaboration with Santana, the Thomas-penned "Smooth," earned him three Grammys and today ranks #1 on Billboard's Top Hot 100 Rock Songs chart and #2 on the magazine's Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs. He has also worked with the likes of Willie Nelson, Mick Jagger, Marc Anthony and Bernie Taupin. In 2004, the Songwriters Hall of Fame presented Thomas with its first ever Starlight Award. He has won numerous BMI and ASCAP Awards and has earned the Songwriter of the Year crown from both Billboard and BMI for two consecutive years. With the 2005 release of his first solo album, the #1 multi-platinum …Something to Be, Thomas embarked on a major, sold-out world tour. In 2007, he reunited with Matchbox Twenty for Exile on Mainstream, their first album in five years. Debuting at #3 on the Billboard 200, the RIAA gold album scored the biggest first week ever for a greatest hits collection. In December 2008, he performed at the 31st Annual Kennedy Center Honors in Washington D.C., where he paid tribute to Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey with an emotionally charged rendition of The Who's "Baba O'Riley," featuring a choir of 150 New York City policemen and firefighters.

Usher, whose latest CD, Raymond v. Raymond, is due in stores Dec. 21, has achieved global superstardom as a singer, composer, producer, film and television actor, businessman and philanthropist. Since hitting the music scene in 1994, he has sold more than 40 millions albums worldwide and won countless awards and accolades, including five Grammys. His fifth album, Confessions in 2004, sold more than a million copies during its first week of release, the highest debut-week numbers ever for a male R&B artist. It went on to become the biggest selling album of the year and earned Usher three Grammys and numerous other accolades. "Yeah!," "Burn" and "Confessions Part II" all topped the charts as Usher became the first solo artist in history to have three singles within Billboard's Top 10 simultaneously. He followed up with the highly rated Showtime special One Night, One Star: Live from Puerto Rico, a 2006 run as Billy Flynn in the hit Broadway musical Chicago and the 2008 platinum CD Here I Stand, featuring such hits as "Love in this Club" and "Moving Mountains." Outside the recording studio, Usher is the visionary leader behind Usher's New Look, Inc., an organization established to empower youth from underserved communities by giving them the skill necessary to enter careers in the sports and entertainment industry. New Look hosts a free, two-week residential Sports and Entertainment Camp in Atlanta. More than 1,300 disadvantaged youth from around the country have been given the extraordinary opportunity to improve their athletic, academic and artistic talents. Through the New Look Foundation, he has also continued his long-term commitment to help rebuild the Gulf Coast. In 2007, Usher launched the top-selling men's and women's fragrance line, Usher HE and Usher SHE, through a partnership with Elizabeth Arden, with a second line UR For Men and UR For Women in 2008. His most recent collaboration with Elizabeth Arden is a new line of men's fragrances called VIP. Usher recently became owner of several wine bar & bistros titled The Grape.

CHRISTMAS IN WASHINGTON, a two-time Emmy®-winning program for Musical Direction and 12-time nominee overall, is executive-produced by 12-time Emmy-winner George Stevens, Jr. and directed and produced by Michael Stevens for The Stevens Company. Most recently they produced the We Are One concert at the Lincoln Memorial on the eve of the Inauguration of President Barack Obama and were awarded an Emmy for the The Kennedy Center Honors as Outstanding Special in September. For TNT, Ricki Rosenfeld and David Bryant serve as executives in charge of production, with Mark Shimmel returning for his fifth year as music talent consultant.

TNT, one of cable's top-rated networks, is television's destination for drama and home to such original series as the acclaimed and highly popular detective drama The Closer, starring Kyra Sedgwick; Saving Grace, starring Holly Hunter; HawthoRNe, with Jada Pinkett Smith; Leverage, starring Timothy Hutton; Raising the Bar, with Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gloria Reuben and Jane Kaczmarek; and Dark Blue, starring Dylan McDermott, as well as the newly acquired Southland, from ER creator John Wells. TNT also presents such powerful dramas as Bones, CSI: NY and Numb3rs; broadcast premiere movies; compelling primetime specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards®; and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR and the NBA. TNT is available in high-definition.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

TNT's Annual Music Concert CHRISTMAS IN WASHINGTON To Premiere in December 2009

[Press Release - TNT]

TNT has acquired exclusive syndication rights to THE MENTALIST from Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, commencing in 2012. Currently in its second season on CBS, THE MENTALIST has emerged as one of the hottest shows on broadcast television. The top-rated series was the #1 new program of the 2008-2009 television season among total viewers and households and won the People's Choice Award for Favorite New Drama.

THE MENTALIST will join a TNT lineup that includes many hit acquired series, along with network originals such as The Closer, Saving Grace, HawthoRNe , Leverage and the upcoming Men of a Certain Age. TNT also recently picked up Warner Bros. Television's Southland.

"THE MENTALIST is a terrific show that will be an ideal fit for TNT's already strong lineup," said Steve Koonin, president of Turner Entertainment Networks. "The early success of the series also indicates THE MENTALIST has a great future."

"Everyone recognized early on that THE MENTALIST was an A-tier drama, the kind of program that would have a profoundly positive effect on its cable licensee," said Ken Werner, president, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. "As a result, the demand for the off-network rights began almost immediately following its debut on CBS last fall and has steadily increased as the show blossomed into a true broadcast hit."

In addition to being a commercial hit, THE MENTALIST is critically acclaimed, with the Television Critics Association nominating the series as Outstanding New Program of the Year. The Washington Post said star Simon Baker was "such a sly and commanding presence that he holds your attention in every scene," while USA Today praised the show as "well-cast, well-written," and Entertainment Weekly declared it "a fun, fast-paced treat."

THE MENTALIST stars Golden Glober and Emmyr nominee Baker as Patrick Jane, an independent consultant with the California Bureau of Investigation ( CBI ) who has a remarkable track record for solving serious crimes by using his razor-sharp skills of observation.

Within the Bureau, Jane is notorious for his blatant lack of protocol and his semi-celebrity past as a psychic medium, whose paranormal abilities he now admits were feigned. Jane's role in cracking a series of tough, high-profile cases is greatly valued by his fellow agents. No-nonsense Senior Agent Teresa Lisbon (Robin Tunney - Prison Break) openly resists having Jane in her unit and alternates between reluctantly acknowledging Jane's usefulness and blasting him for his theatrics, narcissism and dangerous lack of boundaries.

Lisbon's team includes agents Kimball Cho (Tim Kang - Third Watch), Wayne Rigsby (Owain Yeoman - Generation Kill) and rookie member Grace Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti - The O.C.), who all think Jane's a loose cannon but admire his charm and knack for clearing cases.

THE MENTALIST is from Warner Bros. Television and is executive-produced by Bruno Heller (Rome ) and Chris Long (Gilmore Girls).

Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution (WBDTD) is one of the leading suppliers of entertainment programming to the domestic television marketplace, distributing first-run syndicated series, off-network television programs and theatrical motion pictures to local broadcast television stations, as well as to pay, cable, satellite and broadcast networks throughout the U.S. WBDTD handles the domestic distribution of television series produced by Warner Bros. Television, Telepictures Productions, Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Horizon Television; selected HBO Independent Productions and the Lorimar Television library; current feature films from Warner Bros. Pictures; and the Studio's unmatched motion picture library.

Warner Bros. Television (WBTV) is one of the entertainment industry's most respected providers of original content, producing award-winning drama and comedy series for both broadcast network television and cable. For the 2009-2010 television season, WBTV is producing more than 25 primetime series, with at least one show on each of the five broadcast networks. New programs include the one-hour drama The Vampire Diaries, the #1 show on The CW; one-hour shows Human Target and Past Life for Fox; the hourlong V, Eastwick and The Forgotten, as well as half-hour comedies The Middle and Hank for ABC; and an untitled medical drama from Jerry Bruckheimer Television for midseason on CBS, among others. Continuing programs include TV's #1 comedy among households and total viewers in Two and a Half Men, TV's #1 comedy among adults 18-49 in The Big Bang Theory, the #1 new program of 2008-2009 among households and total viewers in The Mentalist, the Julia Louis-Dreyfus-starring comedy The New Adventures of Old Christine and veteran drama Cold Case for CBS; the #1 new program of 2008
-2009 among adults 18-49 in Fringe for Fox; Chuck for NBC; and Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, Smallville and Supernatural for The CW. WBTV also produces The Closer and Southland for TNT and Nip/Tuck for FX.

TNT, one of cable's top-rated networks, is television's destination for drama and home to such original series as the acclaimed and highly popular detective drama The Closer, starring Kyra Sedgwick; Saving Grace, starring Holly Hunter; HawthoRNe, with Jada Pinkett Smith; Leverage, starring Timothy Hutton; Raising the Bar, with Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gloria Reuben and Jane Kaczmarek; and Dark Blue, starring Dylan McDermott, as well as the newly acquired Southland, from ER creator John Wells. TNT also presents such powerful dramas as Bones, CSI: NY and Numb3rs; broadcast premiere movies; compelling primetime specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awardsr; and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR and the NBA. TNT is available in high-definition.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

THE MENTALIST Will Air on TNT

Check out this preview for TNT's new series, MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE starring Ray Romano, Scott Bakula and Andre Braugher.

The show will premiere on December 7 at 10pm on TNT. You can check out the preview and read the synopsis below.

Synopsis: MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE explores the unique bonds of male friendship among three men experiencing the changes and challenges of mid-life. They have been best friends since college but now, in their 40s, are navigating through the second act of their lives. Joe (Romano) is a friendly, slightly neurotic, recently separated father of two who had dreams of being a professional golfer. Now he owns and runs a party store. Terry (Bakula) is a laid-back, handsome actor who seems to breeze through life (and women). Lately, he’s spending more time working as a temp than as an actor. And Owen (Braugher) is an overstressed husband and father of three who endures constant criticism from his father, for whom he works as a car salesman.

These friends face very different challenges. Joe, who currently lives in a hotel, tries to connect with his kids and is dipping his toe in the dating pool, while also struggling with the gambling problem that may have ended his marriage. The unmarried Terry scoffs at domestic issues but sometimes wonders if his own single life is all it’s cracked up to be. Owen does everything he can to climb the sales board at his father’s car dealership and keep his cool over the seemingly endless renovation project in the home he can barely afford. Through it all, these men are there for each other when it counts.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

TNT's MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE Preview

Watch a sneak of the new series DARK BLUE Episode 10 "Shot in the Dark" airing Wednesday September 16 2009 at 10 PM on TNT.

Also watch any Dark Blue episode that you may have missed here.

Episode Synopsis: DARK BLUE "Shot in the Dark" Episode 10 - Carter is the prime suspect in the killing of an undercover DEA officer, with Jaimie, Ty and Dean as witnesses to the shooting. But Carter’s recollection of the event involves a third person in a blue car, something none of the others remember seeing. Meanwhile, Melissa starts pressuring Ty to leave the undercover unit so they can start a family. And Jaimie’s boyfriend, Scott, gets a new job in San Francisco.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

DARK BLUE "Shot in the Dark" Episode 10 (Season Finale)

[Press Release - Released by TNT]

Omari Hardwick, Co-Star of TNT's Series DARK BLUE, Chats Live Online with Fans Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 11 a.m. (PT) / 2 p.m. (ET)

Season Finale to Air on Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)

TNT is giving fans of the fast-paced drama series DARK BLUE the chance to chat online with one of the stars of the series, Omari Hardwick. He will answer questions live via video on the DARK BLUE Facebook page and on TNT.tv at 11 a.m. (PT) / 2 p.m. (ET) on Tuesday, Sept. 15. Fans who visit either the DARK BLUE Facebook page or TNT.tv will have access to participate and interact with Hardwick.

DARK BLUE airs on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. (ET/PT) and is a fast-paced, undercover police drama from prolific producer Jerry Bruckheimer (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Without a Trace) and stars Golden Globe® winner Dylan McDermott (The Practice, TNT's The Grid), Logan Marshall-Green (The O.C.), Omari Hardwick (TNT's Saved) and Nicki Aycox (Supernatural). The series follows the exploits of a crack undercover team of police officers so covert, many of their own colleagues don't even know they are involved. Leading the group is Carter Shaw (McDermott), a deeply wounded character who has lost much of his former life as he struggles to bring down bad guys through complex undercover assignments. His team includes Ty Curtis (Hardwick), a recently married cop who struggles with personal relationships he has developed while undercover; Dean Bendis (Marshall-Green), a shoot-from-the-hip officer whose activities make fellow team members wonder if he has gone over to the bad side; and Jaimie Allen (Aycox), a green patrol cop brought in because of her excellent skill in lying and a shady past.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

DARK BLUE's Omari Hardwick to Chat Live Online with Fans

Watch a sneak of the new series DARK BLUE Episode 9 "Betsy" airing Wednesday September 9 2009 at 10 PM on TNT.

Also watch any Dark Blue episode that you may have missed here.

Episode Synopsis: DARK BLUE "Betsy" Episode 9 - The team goes after a major smuggler running the biggest ring on the West Coast. In order to get into his operation, Jaimie has to go undercover as her former self, Jaimie Anderson, and hook up with an old acquaintance from her shady past. She also has to ask a favor of her boyfriend, the Assistant District Attorney, to get what the team needs to make their case work.

Directed by Dermott Downs
Written by Matt McGuinness & Eileen Myers
Created by Danny Cannon & Doug Jung

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

DARK BLUE "Betsy" Episode 9

Take a first look at LEVERAGE Season 2 Episode 9 "The Lost Heir Job" airing Wednesday September 9 2009 at 9/8c on TNT. This week, a special guest star will join the show: Seven of Nine Jeri Ryan.

Also watch any Leverage episode here.

Episode Synopsis: LEVERAGE "The Lost Heir Job" Season 2 Episode 9 - The Leverage team tries to stop a corrupt lawyer from taking control of his wealthy client’s estate by convincing him that Parker is the man’s long lost daughter.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

LEVERAGE "The Lost Heir Job" Season 2 Episode 9

Watch a sneak of the new series DARK BLUE Episode 8 "Venice Kings" airing Wednesday September 2 2009 at 10 PM on TNT.

Also watch Dark Blue episode here.

Episode Synopsis: DARK BLUE "Venice Kings" Episode 8 - The team inserts itself into a turf war between the Crypts and a new gang, the Venice Kings, who will stop at nothing to take over the heroin market. Dean goes under as a member of the Kings, working with an informer to bring down the new and, according to Carter, far more dangerous gang. Meanwhile, Ty’s troublesome sister needs $7,000, which Ty and Melissa don’t have to give.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

DARK BLUE "Venice Kings" Episode 8

Watch a sneak peek of LEVERAGE Season 2 Episode 8 "The Ice Man Job" airing Wednesday September 2 2009 at 9/8c on TNT.

Also watch any Leverage episode here.

Episode Synopsis: LEVERAGE "The Ice Man Job" Season 2 Episode 8 - With Sophie away, Hardison plays the inside man to take down an unscrupulous diamond merchant. When he overdoes the act, the team finds itself forced to break into the most secure vault in Boston.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

LEVERAGE "The Ice Man Job" Season 2 Episode 8

Good news of the day!

[Press Release - Released by TNT]

Television's hottest team of con artists, grifters, hackers and thieves will be back again as TNT lines up a third season of its fast-paced drama series LEVERAGE, starring Academy Award® winner Timothy Hutton (Ordinary People), Gina Bellman (Coupling), Christian Kane (TNT's Into the West), Beth Riesgraf (Alvin and the Chipmunks) and Aldis Hodge (Friday Night Lights). The network has ordered 15 episodes of the series, which is currently in its second season, airing Wednesdays at 9 p.m. (ET/PT). The show's summer finale will air Wednesday, Sept. 9. It will then return to complete the second season in winter, with the third season slated to air in summer 2010.

"Thanks in large part to its engaging cast and clever storytelling, LEVERAGE has proven itself to be one of the most exciting and fun hours on television," said Michael Wright, executive vice president, head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). "The producers, cast and crew have been incredible to work with, and we anticipate another wonderful season."

LEVERAGE is executive-produced by Dean Devlin (Independence Day, TNT's The Librarian) and creators John Rogers (Transformers) and Chris Downey (The King of Queens). It comes to the network from Devlin's Electric Entertainment and is one of six high-profile original dramas that have populated TNT's Monday-Wednesday lineup this summer. The six series, which include The Closer, Raising the Bar, HawthoRNe, Saving Grace and Dark Blue, are part of an aggressive TNT strategy to build a slate of quality original programming in primetime.

LEVERAGE scored big in its first season, ranking as ad-supported cable's #1 show in its timeslot with an average of 3.9 million viewers. The second season has averaged 4.1 million viewers* and ranks as ad-supported cable's #1 Wednesday program in delivery of adults 25-54 and #1 Wednesday drama among viewers and households. The show is enjoying solid growth when compared to its first season, with viewers up 5% and households up 7%.

LEVERAGE scores tremendously well with DVR users, garnering an extraordinary 66% growth among adults 25-54 when comparing Live to Live + 7 viewing.

In LEVERAGE, Hutton stars as Nate Ford, a former insurance investigator determined to bring down the kind of corrupt bigwigs whose neglect led to the death of his son. His highly skilled team includes Sophie Devereaux (Bellman), a grifter who uses her acting skills to corner her marks; Eliot Spencer (Kane), a "retrieval specialist" with bone-crunching fighting skills; Alec Hardison (Hodge), a gadget and technology wizard who keeps the team connected and informed; and Parker (Riesgraf), a slightly off-center thief adept at rappelling off buildings or squeezing into tight places.

Electric Entertainment is a full-service film, television and new media production company and studio, established in 2001 by veteran writer/producer Dean Devlin (Independence Day, Stargate, The Patriot) and led by Devlin along with partners Kearie Peak, Marc Roskin and Rachel Olschan. Dec. 7, 2008, marked the TNT premiere of Leverage, the new action-packed series from Electric Entertainment executive produced by Devlin, who made his directorial debut on the pilot, and the debut of The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice, the third installment of the company's popular Librarian franchise, starring Noah Wyle (ER). Electric is in pre-production on the animated feature film Tikis and the feature film Ghosting, a supernatural thriller which Devlin will produce and direct.

Electric's previous films include the World War I action/adventure Flyboys; the politically charged documentary Who Killed the Electric Car?; Cellular, starring Kim Basinger, Chris Evans and Jessica Biel; and Eight Legged Freaks, with David Arquette and Scarlett Johansson. The company's television credits include The Librarian: Quest for the Spear, starring Noah Wyle, which aired on TNT in December 2004 and was the highest-rated movie on cable that year; its sequel, The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines; and The Sci Fi Channel's (now SyFy) The Triangle, which won a Visual Effects Emmy® and was the highest-rated miniseries on the cable channel since Steven Spielberg Presents Taken. Electric Entertainment recently teamed with TNT for the crime thriller Blank Slate, starring Eric Stoltz, a microseries that debuted last fall on the network, as well as on tnt.tv. Additionally, Electric Entertainment owns and operates the online pop-culture and entertainment magazine IF (www.IFmagazine.com), which reports the entertainment industry's daily news.

TNT, one of cable's top-rated networks, is television's destination for drama and home to such original series as the acclaimed and highly popular detective drama The Closer, starring Kyra Sedgwick; Saving Grace, starring Holly Hunter; Raising the Bar, with Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gloria Reuben and Jane Kaczmarek; Leverage, starring Timothy Hutton; HawthoRNe, with Jada Pinkett Smith; and Dark Blue, starring Dylan McDermott. TNT also presents such powerful dramas as Bones, CSI: NY, Cold Case, Law & Order, Without a Trace, ER and Charmed; broadcast premiere movies; compelling primetime specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards®; and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR and the NBA. TNT is available in high-definition.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

TNT Orders Third Season of Hit Series LEVERAGE

In case you didn't know, Wil Wheaton is guest starring in this week's episode of LEVERAGE, "The Two Live Crew Job," which airs on tonight, August 26, at 9pm on TNT. You can take a first sneak peek at Wil Wheaton in the episode here.

He recently took some time to answer a few questions about his time on Leverage during a conference call with the press.

On the Star Trek reference at the beginning of the episode

Wil Wheaton: In the continuity of the show, Hardison is a huge Star Trek fan and makes Star Trek references all the time. In "The Fairy Godparents Job," he tells Eliot you know if I mention, or sorry not that one, the one in the hospital, sorry I got the titles mixed up, he tells Eliot if I say Star Trek with an even number something's bad, if I say Star Trek with an odd number it's something good because I'm flipping around you know even and odd Star Trek movies, and Eliot's like I don't know what you're talking about. And that's part of the gag that Hardison makes these Star Trek jokes all the time and nobody gets them. It just happened to be a cool bit of additional meta-humor that you know I get to be the guy that they call Kobayashi Maru. Which, I got to tell you, it kind of made me feel cool for about 5 minutes.

On how he got involved with the show

Wil Wheaton: I have been friends with John Rogers, the co-creator and head writer for a number of years and I used to play hockey with Dean Devlin when we were much younger. I played on the same team as him from like, I don't know maybe 1990 to 1991 or something like that. And they told me when the show was getting going, that if there was ever an opportunity for us to work together that I should be prepared to get that phone call. And I got really lucky that they had a character that I could play at a time when I could work on the show and I was able to go up and spend some time in Portland working on it.

Dean directed my show and Marc Roskin, who has directed some of my favorite episodes of the series, directed a lot of my second unit stuff and I think the only thing that could be better than all of that would be to get to come back at some point in the future and work in a show that Jonathan was directing.

On how Chaos compares to Hardison

Wil Wheaton: Well, if you ask Chaos he would tell you that Hardison dreams of one day being half as competent and skilled and accomplished as he is. If you asked Hardison he would tell you that he thinks it's just adorable that Chaos holds this opinion of himself and that's part of what makes their relationship so much fun to create. It was really important to me when I was putting this character together and Aldis and I were rehearsing our scenes, that the audience get the sense that these guys are both at the absolute top of their game.

And in fact, all of the players in this particular episode, in both crews, are convinced that they are the very best at what they do, and are really kind of happy and kind of excited to finally have somebody to go up against that they consider a worthy rival. So when I was working on my scenes and preparing my scenes with Aldis, we made sure that there was this sense of sparring as opposed to a sense of bare knuckle brawling.

And there's a ton of stuff, a ton of really funny like Fark-style trash talking that he and I engaged in that we just improvised that didn't make it into the final cut of the show but I really hope finds its way to a DVD or something like that, because it's all really, really silly stuff.

On whether Chaos, his character, might be making a comeback in future episodes

Wil Wheaton: Well I can't really speak directly to that because it would get into specifics about the episode and you know I wouldn't want to ruin that for anybody, but if the opportunity were to arise, the amount of time that it would take for me to say yes would be directly related to how long it took me to open up my e-mail and type three letters.

On which character of the "Leverage" team he would like to be

Wil Wheaton: In real life I'd like to be a guy like Eliot because like you know he's unstoppable. But the things is I've been a skinny nerd my whole life and I would love to finally be the guy that nobody can push around. As an actor, I would love to play a character like Nate Ford because he is so complex and so layered and so haunted and you know there are not a lot of actors who could do what Tim Hutton does with that character, and so I guess it's sort of a two-part answer.

On his overall feeling of the episode

Wil Wheaton: I am really proud of this episode. I had very high expectations going into it because I knew the script was great and I knew the cast was flawless. And you know I was there when we were putting it all together and I saw how things were working and how things were working on the set and stuff, and I thought this is going to be a great episode. And I went down to Electric Entertainment last week to see a screening of it and it exceeded my already high expectations. Like everybody gets to do something cool in this episode. And the story that ties all of these wonderful individual moments together is a really good, really solid, fun story. And you know even if I wasn't a member of this rival crew, I would really want to see these two crews go head to head again, to see how things change.

On whether he has ever hacked anything

Wil Wheaton: You know the extent of my illicit hacking activity probably starts and ends with the Activision video game Hacker on my old Macintosh in like 1984 or 1985. I was heavily involved in bulletin board culture before the Internet existed. I spent a lot of time on my 1200 baud acoustic coupler modem making connections to bulletin boards and things like that.

I was never a contributor but I read Fark religiously in the late 80s and right until the early 90s and it was not an especially long distance that I had to cover to get from myself to becoming Chaos. But I've never really engaged in anything that would, that would bring you down on the wrong side of the law. I knew a lot of people who probably grew up to be the modern equivalence of Chaos in Hardison now.

On whether he considers himself a computer geek

Wil Wheaton: Yes, I spend a lot of time online. I would consider myself an early adopter of a lot of the Internet technologies that a lot of people take for granted these days. I've been a member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Free Software Foundation and I'm a vocal advocate for network neutrality and users rights and I'm one of the loud voices in the Anti-DRM movement. I love my computer. I love the Internet. I absolutely love technology and, and it's still a very, very big part of my life.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

Wil Wheaton Talks LEVERAGE

Watch a sneak peek of LEVERAGE Season 2 Episode 7 "The Two Live Crew Job" airing Wednesday August 26 2009 at 9/8c on TNT.

Also watch any Leverage episode here.

Episode Synopsis: LEVERAGE "The Two Live Crew Job" Season 2 Episode 7 - To retrieve some art work the Leverage team takes on another crew of thieves.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

LEVERAGE "The Two Live Crew Job" Season 2 Episode 7

Watch a sneak of the new series DARK BLUE Episode 7 "O.I.S." airing Wednesday August 26 2009 at 10 PM on TNT.

Also watch Dark Blue episode here.

Episode Synopsis: DARK BLUE "O.I.S." Episode 7 - Carter and his undercover team try to bring down a highly decorated dishonest cop, but the mission involving another cop affects Ty.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

DARK BLUE "O.I.S." Episode 7

Watch a sneak peek of RAISING THE BAR "Beating a Dead Horse" Season 2 Episode 12 airing this Monday August 24 at 10pm on TNT.

Episode Synopsis: RAISING THE BAR "Beating a Dead Horse" Season 2 Episode 24 - Jerry takes over one of Bobbi’s clients, a pregnant woman who is addicted to heroin, and Michelle is determined to do everything she can to keep her in jail so she doesn’t continue shooting up with a baby in her womb. Roz defends a carriage driver against charges of assaulting an officer and abusing a horse. But there is much more to the story than first appears.

Read all our Raising the Bar coverage here.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

RAISING THE BAR "Beating a Dead Horse" Season 2 Episode 12

Take a sneak peek of THE CLOSER "Waivers of Extradition" Season 5 Episode 12 airing Monday August 24 at 9/8c on TNT.

Also watch any The Closer episode here.

Episode Synopsis: THE CLOSER "Waivers of Extradition" Season 5 Episode 12 - After the stabbing death of a woman who was apparently killed by someone wearing a Ninja outfit, Brenda and the squad soon realize they might have a bigger case on their hands than they thought. A detective from El Paso, Texas (guest star Xander Berkeley), where a similar crime occurred, comes to LA to help in the investigation, but his primary interest is in bringing the killer back to Texas to face the death penalty. Meanwhile, Brenda’s father, Clay (guest star Barry Corbin), arrives to take her niece, Charlie, home to Atlanta.

Read all our The Closer coverage here.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

THE CLOSER "Waivers of Extradition" Season 5 Episode 12

Now that's what I call good news!

[Press Release - Released by TNT]

TNT has added two episodes to the summer run of its hit series LEVERAGE, starring Academy Award® winner Timothy Hutton (Ordinary People), Gina Bellman (Coupling), Christian Kane (TNT's Into the West), Beth Riesgraf (Alvin and the Chipmunks) and Aldis Hodge (Friday Night Lights). The summer finale, guest-starring Star Trek: Voyager's Jeri Ryan in a new recurring role as Tara, a grifter who helps the team out, will air Wednesday, Sept. 9.

The following is the schedule for the two episodes added to LEVERAGE's summer lineup:
"The Ice Man Job" – Wednesday, Sept. 2, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
Summer Finale: "The Lost Heir Job" – Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT).

In LEVERAGE, Hutton stars as Nate Ford, a former insurance investigator determined to bring down the kind of corrupt bigwigs whose neglect led to the death of his son. His highly skilled team includes Sophie Devereaux (Bellman), a grifter who uses her acting skills to corner her marks; Eliot Spencer (Kane), a "retrieval specialist" with bone-crunching fighting skills; Alec Hardison (Hodge), a gadget and technology wizard who keeps the team connected and informed; and Parker (Riesgraf), a slightly off-center thief adept at rappelling off buildings or squeezing into tight places.

LEVERAGE is executive-produced by Dean Devlin (Independence Day, TNT's The Librarian) and creators John Rogers (Transformers) and Chris Downey (The King of Queens). It comes to the network from Devlin's Electric Entertainment.

TNT, one of cable's top-rated networks, is television's destination for drama and home to such original series as the acclaimed and highly popular detective drama The Closer, starring Kyra Sedgwick; Saving Grace, starring Holly Hunter; Raising the Bar, with Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gloria Reuben and Jane Kaczmarek; Leverage, starring Timothy Hutton; HawthoRNe, with Jada Pinkett Smith; and Dark Blue, starring Dylan McDermott. TNT also presents such powerful dramas as Bones, CSI: NY, Cold Case, Law & Order, Without a Trace, ER and Charmed; broadcast premiere movies; compelling primetime specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards®; and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR and the NBA. TNT is available in high-definition.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

TNT Adds Two More Episodes of Hit Series LEVERAGE to Summer Lineup

Take a first look at a couple of pictures of Wil Wheaton in an upcoming episode of LEVERAGE.

As I previously wrote, Wil Wheaton will guest star in an episode of Leverage, entitled "The Two Live Crew Job," on August 26 at 9pm on TNT.

I have seen the episode and it's definitely one of the better ones. Why? Well, just imagine another crew of thieves almost virtually similar in every department to Nate Ford's team. Now imagine that they are both gunning for the same artwork, and you get thieves trying to out-steal each other.

Wil Wheaton plays Chaos, Hardison's hacker nemesis. And these two has some really funny scenes together. This is definitely an episode you don't want to miss.

In the picture above, in addition to Wil Wheaton, you can also see Apollo Robbins, Noa Tishby, and Griffin Dunne.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

Wil Wheaton in LEVERAGE First Look

Watch a sneak peek of the finale of SAVING GRACE "Am I Gonna Die?" Season 3 Episode 10 airing Tuesday August 18 2009 at 10pm on TNT.

Also watch any Saving Grace episode you may have missed here.

Episode Synopsis: SAVING GRACE "Am I Gonna Die?" Season 3 Episode 10 (Finale) - When a prominent doctor and philanthropist fatally wounds an intruder in his house, the search is on for the intruder’s accomplice. But there’s something about the doctor’s story that just doesn’t gel with Grace. Meanwhile Rhetta and Ronnie have it out once and for all. Ham breaks some interesting news to Grace. And Earl tells Grace she has to do something for Neely…but he doesn’t know what it is yet.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

SAVING GRACE "Am I Gonna Die?" Season 3 Episode 10 (Finale)

Watch a sneak peek of the season finale of TNT series HAWTHORNE "Hello and Goodbye" Episode 10 airing this Tuesday August 18 2009 at at 9 p.m. (ET/PT).

Also watch any HawthoRNe Episodes Here

Episode Synopsis: HAWTHORNE "Hello and Goodbye" Episode 10 - David's cancer is back and Christina does her best to comfort him while looking to get him a new treatment. Kelly has difficulties when trying to say goodbye to a patient and Ray hears astonishing news from Candy.

Read all our Hawthorne coverage here.

This is a post from Daemon's TV.

HAWTHORNE "Hello and Goodbye" Episode 10 - Season Finale