leverage-related stories
Posted Jul 2nd 2009 11:51AM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Interviews, Celebrities, Reality-Free
Academy Award winner Timothy Hutton has had numerous chances to star in TV series during his successful career. It took the edgy blend of drama and humor in TNT's
Leverage to lead him to sign on for the show's lead role.
Hutton stars as Nathan Ford, a former insurance investigator leading a team of thieves and con artists who balance the scales when ordinary people fall victim to corrupt politicians, authorities and corporations.
The show co-stars Gina Bellman, Christian Kane, Beth Riesgraf and Aldis Hodge as Ford's less than reputable teammates.
As
Leverage approaches its second season premiere July 15, Hutton connected with
TV Squad to share his hopes for the show.
Continue reading Timothy Hutton: The TV Squad Interview
Posted Jun 26th 2009 2:07PM by Mike Moody
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Industry, Celebrities, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Casting, Reality-Free
Being a nerd, I'm very familiar with Jeri Ryan's career. She helped make
Star Trek: Voyager watchable for a while as a self-aware Borg and recently starred in CBS'
Shark alongside James Woods. But it was her work on the David Kelley shows
Boston Public and
Boston Legal that has me thinking she'll be a good fit for
Leverage.
The actress handled Kelley's sharp dialogue like a pro, and I'm guessing she'll bring the same confidence to her role as a "smart-ass, street-wise con woman" on the second season of
Leverage. Ryan has
signed on for a recurring role on the TNT heist drama. Her character will be a friend of Sophie's (Gina Bellman),
Leverage's sexy grifter with a bag full of tricks and foreign accents.
Continue reading Another Star Trek actor joins TNT's Leverage
Posted Jun 10th 2009 5:34PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, The Shield, Pickups and Renewals, Reality-Free
The Shield may have wrapped its run this past year, but that doesn't mean creator Shawn Ryan is done with FX. The network did let his vision run its course to completion, so I'm sure he's quite comfortable there. I know I am. This time, he's executive producing with
Ocean's Eleven scribe Ted Griffin on the new dramedy
Terriers, about a detective who teams up with a young hot-shot.
FX has already greenlit Terriers, and Griffin has turned in the scripts so it's down to casting.
Continue reading FX greenlights Terriers from The Shield's Shawn Ryan
Posted Jun 8th 2009 3:26PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Other Comedy Shows, Other Reality Shows, TV Squad Polls, Reality-Free
It's amazing how many new shows are on during the summer now. Who needs the outdoors? Let us know which show you're most looking forward to watching this summer (I didn't include shows that have
already premiered, such as
Burn Notice,
So You Think You Can Dance, and
The Listener). A poll can only be so long, so if you're show isn't listed let us know in the comments.
Continue reading Which summer show are you most looking forward to?
Posted May 21st 2009 3:25PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Other Comedy Shows, Industry, Programming, Pickups and Renewals, Upfronts, Reality-Free
With all this news from
ABC,
CBS,
NBC,
FOX, and
The CW about their new fall schedules, we can't forget what's happening on cable.
TNT and
TBS have announced some new shows of their own. Some might say that these shows are even more promising than what the other networks have to offer this fall. In fact, one of them has me more excited than Richard Simmons in a tank top factory.
Besides returning shows like
The Closer (June 8),
Raising The Bar (June 8),
Saving Grace (June 16), and
Leverage (July 15), TNT also has the following new shows.
Continue reading Hey, TNT and TBS have new shows coming too
Posted Apr 30th 2009 9:30AM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Programming, Pickups and Renewals, Reality-Free
When the networks go into summer hibernation, it's time for the cable networks to come out and play. While they've been making inroads with fall and spring original programming, most cable networks stick to the summer frame where competition is light and they put up huge numbers that NBC would envy.
TNT added a few shows to achieve a three-night schedule of original programming this summer, bringing it closer and closer to full network programming levels. And TNT knows a thing or two about massive ratings hits.
They're coupling smash hit
The Closer at 9 PM ET with
Raising the Bar at 10 on Mondays starting June 8.
Bar launched huge and secured a renewal before everyone realized what a huge steaming pile of crap it was. So now it's got the cushiest timeslot on the network to try and win back all the viewers it pissed away. Let's hope they've improved the product and
Felicityed Mark Paul-Gosselaar's hair.
Continue reading TNT putting together a network-killing summer schedule
Posted Mar 11th 2009 1:51PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Awards, Reality-Free
The
nominations for the Saturn Awards came out and as Claude Rains in
Casablanca said, "Round up the usual suspects."
Lost lead the pack with 11 nominations, six for
Heroes, and four each for
Battlestar Galactica and
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Newbie sci-fi/horror like
Fringe and
True Blood also received nominations, as well as the outre
Dexter, Life on Mars, Jericho and
The Ghost Whisperer.
All those make sense to me. However, why did the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror films choose to nominate Bryan Cranston for
Breaking Bad and Kyra Sedgwick for
The Closer, as Best TV actor and actress, respectively?
Continue reading Strangeness in the Saturn Award nominations
Posted Feb 24th 2009 4:01PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Late Night, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free
At 8, ABC has a new Homeland Security, USA.- CBS has a new NCIS at 8.
- NBC has a new Biggest Loser at 8.
- PBS has a new Nova at 8.
- At 9, the networks and the news channels have coverage of the Presidential Address.
- The CW has the season finale of Privileged at 9.
- Discovery has a new Dirty Jobs at 9.
- Food Network has a new Food Detectives at 9.
- Also at 9: BBC America has a new Last Restaurant Standing.
- At 10, TNT has the season finale of Leverage.
- There's a new Chopped on Food Network at 10.
- FX has a new Nip/Tuck at 10.
- Bravo has a new Real Housewives of New York City at 10.
Check your
local TV listings for more.
After the jump, the late night talk shows.
Continue reading What's On Tonight: President Obama, Leverage, Nip/Tuck
Posted Feb 24th 2009 9:22AM by Debra McDuffee
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Interviews, Celebrities, Reality-Free
When I sit down to watch television, I want to be entertained. I do not want to be bored, annoyed, depressed or angry. Just give me some good, clean fun. That's why it's been an infinite pleasure watching TNT's new drama,
Leverage, a show I have crowned the
best new show this season.
I recently had the pleasure of talking with Timothy Hutton, star of
Leverage, about the first season of the successful new drama. Oh yes, the charming Tim and I dished about his performance, his co-stars and what season two may bring.
One thing I learned is that the powers-that-be over at
Leverage don't tell their actors a whole lot. After being enamored with season one, I was dying for a spoiler of what's to come next season, now that we know
Leverage has been renewed (they start filming April 13, in fact). OK, I would have settled for a teaser, even a tidbit, but it seems they're still tossing most of that around in the writers' room. Here's what I did get:
Continue reading Timothy Hutton talks about Leverage's first season
Posted Feb 17th 2009 4:03PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Late Night, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free
At 8, ABC has a new Homeland Security, USA.- CBS has a new NCIS at 8, then new episodes of The Mentalist and Without A Trace.
- NBC has a new, two-hour Biggest Loser at 8, followed by a new Law and Order: SVU.
- FOX has a new, two-hour American Idol.
- At 9, PBS has a new Frontline.
- Food Network has a new Food Detectives at 9.
- BBC America has a new Last Restaurant Standing at 9.
- At 10, ABC has a new Primetime: What Would You Do?
- TNT has a new Leverage at 10.
- There's a new Chopped on Food Network at 10.
- FX has a new Nip/Tuck at 10.
- Also at 10: Bravo has a new Real Housewives of Orange County, followed by the season premiere of Real Housewives of New York City.
Check your
local TV listings for more.
After the jump, the late night talk shows.
Continue reading What's On Tonight: Biggest Loser, Mentalist, Chopped, What Would You Do?
Posted Feb 10th 2009 4:03PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Late Night, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free
At 8, ABC has Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown, followed by two new episodes of Scrubs and True Beauty.- CBS has a new NCIS at 8, then new episodes of The Mentalist and Without A Trace.
- FOX has new episodes of American Idol and Fringe.
- NBC has a new, two-hour of The Biggest Loser at 8, followed by a new Dateline.
- The CW has a new 90210 at 8, then a new Privileged.
- At 9, Food Network has a new Food Detectives.
- Sci-Fi has a new ECW at 9.
- At 10, TNT has a new Leverage.
- FX has a new Nip/Tuck at 10.
- There's a new Chopped on Food Network at 10.
- Travel Channel has a new Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern at 10.
- Also at 10: Bravo has a new Real Housewives of Orange County.
Check your
local TV listings for more.
After the jump, the late night talk shows.
Continue reading What's On Tonight: Charlie Brown, Fringe, Leverage, Real Housewives
Posted Feb 10th 2009 1:31PM by Debra McDuffee
Filed under: OpEd, TV Squad Lists, Reality-Free
The
new fall pilots don't excite me very much, what with all of the cops, doctors and lawyers. But I know networks, and original ideas aren't exactly the "in" thing.
So, why can't we design some spin-offs? You know, the networks might go for some ideas based on hit shows, and we can make them a little bit unique, right? Let's add in some elements that excite us to some familiar characters and see if we can't create some new spin-off pilots better than the actual ones.
Continue reading Six spinoffs you'll probably never see ... but sure would be fun
Posted Feb 10th 2009 11:01AM by Mike Moody
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Video, Interviews, Celebrities, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Reality-Free
There is life after
Star Trek. Jonathan Frakes,
Star Trek: The Next Generation's former "Number One," has moved on from sci-fi stardom to a successful career as a TV and film director. He's helmed four feature films, countless hours of
Star Trek and
Roswell, plus the two latest entries in TNT's
Librarian telemovie franchise. Now, he's joining one of TV's most
critically acclaimed new shows.
Frakes directed tonight's episode of
Leverage, TNT's hit heist drama starring Timothy Hutton. The episode is a
Star Trek reunion of sorts with Frakes behind the camera and his former
Star Trek co-stars Brent Spiner (Data from
TNG) and Armin Shimerman (Quark from
Deep Space Nine) guest starring.
I spoke to Frakes by phone for a few minutes this week and, somehow, I was able to hold back from asking him a million geeky
Star Trek questions. (Now I'll never know if "Tom" Riker ever escaped from the Cardassians!) We discussed his love for
Leverage, his friendships with his former cast mates, and the possible return of
"Number One" Will Riker.
Continue reading Jonathan Frakes: The TV Squad Interview - VIDEO
Posted Feb 3rd 2009 4:02PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Late Night, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free
At 8, ABC has a new Homeland Security USA, followed by two new episodes of Scrubs and a new Primetime: What Would You Do?- NBC has a new, two-hour Biggest Loser at 8, then a new Law and Order: SVU.
- FOX has new episodes of American Idol and Fringe.
- There's a new 90210 on The CW at 8,j followed by a new Privileged.
- PBS has a new Nova at 8, then a new Frontline.
- BBC America has two new episodes of Last Restaurant Standing starting at 8.
- At 9, Discovery has a new Dirty Jobs.
- Sci-Fi has a new ECW at 9.
- At 10, CBS has a new Without A Trace.
- TNT has a new Leverage at 10.
- FX has a new Nip/Tuck at 10.
- Bravo has a new Real Housewives of Orange County at 10.
- Also at 10: Food Network has a new Chopped.
Check your
local TV listings for more.
After the jump, the late night talk shows.
Continue reading What's On Tonight: Idol, Nova, ECW, Nip/Tuck, Chopped
Posted Feb 2nd 2009 2:04PM by Mike Moody
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Industry, Pickups and Renewals, Reality-Free
Who would've thought
The A-Team would work in 2009? OK, so
Leverage is slicker, better scripted, and it features 89% less explosions than
The A-Team, but the show's concept sure reminds me of Hannibal and B.A. Baracus' 1980s exploits as "soldiers of fortune."
TNT's freshman drama centers on a group of criminals turned Robin Hoods who pull off elaborate schemes to take down the dirty dogs of corporate America. So far,
Leverage has earned decent ratings and high praise from critics (Squadder Debra McDuffee called it
"the best new show this season."), and TNT is rewarding it by
green lighting a second season.
Continue reading TNT renews Leverage for a second season
Next Page >
Seven greatest hand cannons in TV history
TV Squad previews NBC's new shows (part 1)
TV 101: How ESPN controls the world and what the other networks can learn from it
