TVSquad

I've been waiting for Crash the TV series to materialize ever since I heard about it shortly after the movie premiered in May, 2005. The Starz/Lionsgate series will feature 13 episodes with a different cast of characters from the film.

Now I have even more reason to be excited, because Tom Sizemore has joined the series in a recurring role. He'll play Detective Adrian Cooper, whose unorthodox methods cause havoc when he investigates a police-involved shooting. Sizemore joins Dennis Hopper in the series, with Paul Haggis serving as executive producer.

I've had a major crush on Sizemore since he played Sgt. Vinnie Ventresca on China Beach during the 1989-1990 season. Sure, he's had some challenging times. According to his IMDB.com page, in February, 2005, he failed a court-ordered drug test after he was caught trying to use a prosthetic penis to fake the results. And that was the second time he was caught trying that.

I mentioned in my review of the first Mad Men episode that the show makes me want to start smoking and drinking a lot. Now I have another reason to take up smoking (or should I say return as I did smoke for one summer as a teen): I got the two new collectible lighters yesterday.

They're both pretty damn cool and look a lot like the limited edition, lighter-shaped DVD set for the first season of the show. The limited edition lighter features the full Mad Men logo (the title and the back of the man's head and arm) and is numbered (only 1000 were made). It comes in a nice black case. The regular lighter is metal and features the Mad Men title (without the pic of the man) on the bottom of the front.

AMC is spending $25 million to promote the second season of the show (commercials, print ads, promotional products, tie-ins, etc), which premieres on July 27, and I'm all for spending that kind of money if it gets me cool collectibles like this. Now I have to go get a few cartons of Lucky Strikes and a couple of really nice suits. (Check back on July 21 as we'll be giving away some Mad Men goodies like the DVDs and one of these lighters, so you can start smoking too.)

This is news that leaves me somewhat torn. On the one hand, I really like horror movies, and by extension, I'm pretty fond of scream queens. On the other hand, just hearing about this show calls to mind the train wreck that was E!'s Kill Reality, and that isn't a happy memory. I suppose it also sounds a lot like Joel Silver's Next Action Star, which wasn't all bad. But then, I might just be trying to talk myself into liking it because that picture of Lexa Doig (Jason X) is staring at me.

The new show will gather ten unknown actresses to compete for a role in a horror movie from Lionsgate Films. The contestants will compete in challenges and be judged by an as yet unnamed director. I'm guessing there will be blood, and possibly chainsaws. The drawback is that it's not on HBO or Showtime, so despite having an acting coach on hand, these girls are all going to be cheated out of that valuable topless-in-the-steamy-locker-room training. I feel for them.

The series is set to premiere in the fall and play out over eight hour long episodes. My expectations are low, but there is just enough there to get me to tune in at least once.

Dennis Hopper is set to star in the new original series Crash, produced by Starz and Lionsgate. This is the first drama series for the network. Based on the Academy Award-winning movie, Crash has begun filming in New Mexico and Los Angeles. Sanford Bookstaver (Jericho, Bones, The O.C.) will direct the premiere episode.

According to the press release, the show "will continue to focus on an ensemble cast of characters" and "will explore the complexities of social tolerance in contemporary America by digging at the meaning of what it takes to reach the American dream." Hopper will play Ben, a veteran, maverick producer in the music biz who is looking for his last big score. Other stars include Clare Carey, Luis Chavez, Ross McCall, Jocko Sims, Brian Tee, and Arlene Tur. Crash will come to Starz in October.

Watch your backs, HBO and Showtime! This show looks good. And Paul Haggis is on the team of executive producers. He didn't just give us Crash. He gave us thirtysomething and The Black Donnellys. Don't mess with the Hag.

Paramount, Lionsgate and MGM are launching a new premium cable channel next year that will likely strip Showtime of much of its theatrical movie content. Showtime was originally a sister company to Paramount until 2006 when Viacom president and CEO Les Moonves split the two companies into separate entities.

One of the reasons cited for this move was by the Showtime's vice president of corporate public relations Stu Zakim. He stated that the network no longer wanted to pay "outrageous license fees" for theatrical content.

This is actually a natural progression for the bigger name cable channels. As they develop more original content, they no longer need to rely on the movie studios to provide content for them. This is a far cry from the early days of cable television when HBO and Showtime were known as the channels from which you could watch R-rated movies in the comfort of your own home.

Online video site Hulu officially launches tomorrow. The site which was founded as an online content distribution clearinghouse for NBC and News Corp TV shows, movies, and clips, has added a ton of content partners over the last few months. And when it emerges from private beta tomorrow, there will be a few more, including:

• Warner Brothers
• Lionsgate
• NBA
• Wine Library TV
• NHL
• CNet
• MGM

All told, the site will have a few dozen content partners, about 100 movies and full length episodes from about 250 TV shows.

I've been relatively impressed with Hulu so far. The video quality is good, and it's relatively easy to find the content you're looking for by searching or browsing. But as the content library gets larger, I'd like to see Hulu improve its site navigation a bit or browsing is going to become nearly impossible.

[via NewTeeVee]

Starz, the cable network, is getting into original production and their first project will be based on the 2005 Best Picture Oscar-winning film Crash. Glen Mazzara, whose credits include Life, The Shield, Stand-Off and Nash Bridges, has been named executive producer/showrunner for the drama series. Lionsgate TV will co-produce with Starz, and they've greenlighted 13 episodes.

The controversial film, which dealt with the intersecting lives of a myriad of people living in Los Angeles in just 48 hours, centers on the character of Detective Graham Waters. Waters, a police detective, is struggling with his career, his drug addict mother and a criminal brother. The role was played by Don Cheadle (Picket Fences), who was also one of the film's producers. He is expected to reprise the part in the Starz production and may even direct a few episodes. In addition, director/co-writer/producer Paul Haggis and others from the film are also on board for Starz.

If you've watched 30 Rock this past season, you've seen how funny actress Edie Falco can be. As C.C. (Celeste Cunningham), she's been a hoot opposite Alec Baldwin. Well, Showtime noticed, and they announced today that the three-time Emmy-winner, best known as Carmela on The Sopranos, will star in a new show for their network. She'll be playing a "strong-willed, iconoclastic New York City nurse juggling the frenzied grind of an urban hospital and an equally challenging personal life" is the 30-minute, single camera, dark comedy.

In breaking news, movie and television studio Lionsgate has struck a deal with the WGA. In an official statement from the company, the deal was called an "interim agreement."

With Lionsgate reaching a deal with the writers, it wouldn't be surprising if more studios made agreements with them so as to compete. This could lead to a more rapid end to the strike, which would make me much happier.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Showtime has given the green light for a fourth season of their comedy series Weeds. I'm not certain how this will be affected by the writer's strike, but considering that it's Showtime's most popular original show, I doubt it will be abandoned because of that. It will likely only be delayed. Showtime even expanded the number of episodes in the third season from 13 to 15.

I've seen a few first-season episodes on DVD and liked them. I particularly liked Kevin Nealon in his role as the pot-smoking accountant. Mary-Louise Parker and Elizabeth Perkins were also very entertaining in their roles as the dope-pushing suburban housewife and her spoiled, selfish neighbor.

Ars Trechnica is reporting that Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer may have accidentally let slip plans for digital video download stores from Best Buy and Blockbuster.

During a conference call, Feltheimer reportedly said "we have nearly a dozen active agreements in place for digital delivery of our content." Two of the companies he named were Best Buy and Blockbuster, neither of which has officially announced details of a digital download service, although it should come as no surprise that either company would want in on the download market.

If true, two of the biggest names in bricks and mortar movie sales and rentals could be entering the increasingly crowded digital delivery marketplace. Right now, most online video stores have limited selections, restrictions on burning movies to DVD and lower quality than a standard DVD, or in some cases, VHS. So while it might seem like there are already more places to purchase or rent online video than necessary, we welcome a little more competition in the marketplace.

The Dresden Files, which debuts on the Sci Fi Channel in January, sounds somewhat like The X-Files in the way it combines detective work with the supernatural. In this case, however, the detective has supernatural powers himself. The new series, based on the novels by Jim Butcher, focuses on Harry Dresden (Paul Blackthorne), a professional wizard who helps solve cases involving vampires, werewolves and other mystical creatures. Terrence Mann also stars as Dresden's sidekick, a centuries-old spirit who lives inside a human skull.

An interesting concept, at least, though I wonder what this series will have that will set it apart from other supernatural shows, many of which have not been able to find an audience. That being said, I'd rather see a wizard helping police solve crimes than another series about some psychic doing the same. The further we get from vindicating so-called "real" psychics with fictional dramas the happier I'll be. Besides, I have several leprechaun friends who have been trying to sell a script to HBO for years. I think it's about their time to shine.

While I certainly have no moral issues with pot use, I've never understood why a person would wear a shirt with a huge pot leaf on it. I mean, I love blueberry waffles but I'm not going to wear a shirt with a picture of blueberry waffles on it, even though it would obviously be the coolest shirt ever. Of course, if you're trying to promote a TV show called Weeds you'll probably have a few pot leaves on your garments. Just don't tell the French.

While in Cannes, Lionsgate, which produces the Showtime series, had their booth visited by French officials, who confiscated boxes of shirts and caps with pot leaves on them, claiming they encourage drug use. The producers were asked to provide a script, an episode of the show, and a letter saying the garments do not promote drug use.