TVSquad

I've checked out the first episode of season two of Crash, which airs Sept. 18 at 10 PM ET on Starz. After a major tragedy in his life, Ben Cendars, played awesomely by Dennis Hopper, has taken some time off to get sober. No more drugs.

Somehow, I find that a difficult pill to swallow, so to speak, and I really hope he goes south again soon. No one plays the drugged out crazy guy like Dennis Hopper. His wild eyes and erratic behavior are the best parts of the show, especially as he interacts with his driver Anthony, played by Jocko Sims. Those two have one of the weirdest, most dysfunctional bromances in TV history, and I'd hate to see it messed up with Ben's sobriety.

On the plus side, Eric Roberts has joined the cast as a billionaire entrepreneur who plans to bring a pro football team to Los Angeles. My other favorite character is Kenny, played by Ross McCall. He's definitely no angel, but he seems like he wants to make things right in this episode. Let's just say it's a bit of a heartbreaker.

Anyone else a Crash fan?

Now this is some casting news I can get behind. After the disastrous In the Motherhood, Megan Mullally is returning to television-- on a show that's actually funny! Mullally is set to join the cast of the amazing Party Down, a Starz original from Veronica Mars creator, Rob Thomas.

Mullally is replacing Jane Lynch, whose role as Sue Sylvester on Glee has been bumped up from recurring character to series regular. She plays "Lydia Dunfree, who leaves her small town and her failed marriage to help her 13-year-old daughter Escapade achieve her dream of becoming an actress. In addition to working as a cater-waiter for Party Down, Lydia is looking for Mr. Right."

I love how blunt executive producer Steven DeKnight is about the usage of a male prosthetic on his new Starz series Spartacus: Blood and Sand, as Joel mentioned in his report last night . "Some guys aren't as well-endowed as other guys," he says. I wonder if they were inspired by Watchmen, or made to feel comparatively inadequate to Dr. Mammoth.

What's odd to me is that while Spartacus has put thought into the fact that male nudity is a part of their world and addressed it in this manner, no one has come up with a prosthetic for Thomas Jane in Hung over at HBO. Isn't his dong the centerpiece of the whole show? Or maybe he doesn't need one *nudge* *nudge* *wink* *wink*.

If this trailer, straight from Comic-Con International, is any indication, then January 2010 can't come soon enough! The 13-episode Starz (You read that right, Starz!) series Spartacus: Blood and Sand boasts Sam Raimi (Spider-Man), Rob Talpert (Drag Me to Hell) and Steven S. DeKnight (Smallville) executive producing. It features Lucy Lawless (Xena: Warrior Princess), Peter Mensa (300) and Erin Cummings (Dollhouse).

Everything about this trailer makes the show look amazing. Amazing costuming, good casting and dialogue. The effects style borrows heavily from the hyper-realism of 300, which adds a great dramatic flare. Damn, what more can I say? Just watch the thing and wait with bated breath until January like me.

Party Down is one of those shows that I always forget is on (it's on STARZ Friday nights), but it looks like one I might enjoy. Here's a clip from this Friday's season finale (it's been renewed for another season). Kristen Bell guest stars as an obnoxious girl who can shoot electricity out of her hands party planner. Another Heroes alum guest stars too: George Takei.

I've seen the new show from Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas, and it is good. No, not the Cupid redo; I'm talking about Party Down.

The comedy about a group of struggling actors working as caterers premieres March 20 on STARZ. The show reunites Thomas with Mars stars Ken Marino, Ryan Hansen and Adam Scott. Now, Veronica Mars herself, Kristen Bell, is slated to guest star on the season finale, airing May 22.

Bell will play a rival caterer who makes trouble for the regular characters. Thomas said he wrote the part with Bell in mind.

I can't believe I forgot to add Party Down to my recent list of new shows I'm looking forward to. Not only is it produced by Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas, but it also stars several Veronica Mars alums. Ken Marino (Vinnie Van Lowe), Ryan Hansen (Dick Casablancas), Adam Scott (Mr. Rooks), and Jane Lynch (Mrs. Donaldson) have all been cast in lead roles.

I know, I know; I was hoping to see Jason Dohring, Enrico Colantoni or even Kristen Bell on the cast list too. No such luck. But Colantoni is set to guest star in at least one episode, and so is Ed Begley Jr., who played Dean O'Dell in the last season of Veronica Mars. Plus, Thomas said that Bell has expressed interest in appearing on the show.

I posted last week about the new series Crash, premiering on Starz on Oct. 17. It's been a long time coming. I started hearing buzz about a TV series shortly after the film debuted in May, 2005, and the cast looks good (though I know some of you disagree with me).

The lineup of the ensemble drama includes Dennis Hopper, D.B. Sweeney, Ross McCall, Clare Carey, and Luis Chavez, among others. I also appreciate the fact that Paul Haggis and Don Cheadle, who worked on the film, are producing the TV series. So whatever else happens, I have to think they'll keep the integrity of the film intact.

The Crash press kit is now online, and it's interesting to watch the trailer and hark back to the movie. Some of it looks the same -- like the shot of a cop feeling up a woman -- and the racial tension is definitely in place.

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.

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.

Shortly after the release of 2005's Crash in theaters, I remember reading that a TV series based on the film was in the works. I even pitched the story to a TV trade magazine, but the editor didn't go for it. She must have guessed the show would be years in the works, and she was right.

Three years later, a TV series is finally starting to gain some steam. The Hollywood Reporter just posted a story that five actors have joined the cast of the series produced by Don Cheadle, Paul Haggis (pictured), Mark R. Harris, Robert Moresco, Tom Nunan, and Bob Yari, all of whom were involved with the movie. Produced by Lionsgate, the series is anticipated to premiere on Starz in 2009.

Here's a rundown on the actors who've just signed. It's interesting that most of these folks are not big-name actors, which I find refreshing in an era where many mega-movie stars are crossing over into TV:

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.

Starz Entertainment is getting into the scripted sitcom biz with two new comedy series slated to kick off in January.

The first, Hollywood Residential, focuses on the problems facing a home-makeover show geared toward celebrities. The other new series, Head Case, is about a psychotherapist whose clients are all big Hollywood celebs.

The "celebrity" angle of both shows is not a coincidence: Mike Ruggiero, Starz VP of programming, says it's a way of getting viewers used to seeing scripted shows on the channel by featuring some of the celebrities also seen in the movies that originally made up Starz's programming. I don't quite understand that logic, since HBO seemed to do just fine when it started airing original programs without any big names attached.

It's always a nice change of pace to interview someone and not have it feel like you're doing your job during the conversation. For some, that's a tall order and others make it easy. Autumn Reeser made it too easy. I could have talked to her for hours on end glossing on just about any topic and I'm pretty sure she could have matched me in conversation no problem.

Despite the fact that she had been up doing phone interviews and radio spots since early in the morning, she was still just as bubbly and energetic as ever when she called me last Wednesday morning from California. A welcome surprise since I was just starting to adjust to being awake and had barely downed a cup of coffee when Ms. Reeser called me almost 20 minutes ahead of our scheduled appointment. Now maybe it's just me, but that's impressive. You've got to respect someone who shows up to work early and with the way her career is going, you can tell that phoners and radio interviews aren't the only thing that she's putting effort into. With her recent bump to series regular on FOX's The OC, things are looking mighty bright for Reeser. Also bright? Our conversation, which as I said, was far too easy to be called work.

Jonathan Toomey: Hello?

Autumn Reeser: Hey, Jonathan. It's Autumn Reeser. I'm totally calling you early... I hope you don't mind.

JT: Hey that's fine. I've been sitting at my desk for about half an hour, just having some coffee.

I think that at this point the bit torrent technology has become so ubiquitous that some people might not even know that there is an actual Bit Torrent Inc. But there is, and they have announced that they are partnering with a bunch of TV and movie companies to distribute content through their website using torrent technology. Among those in the announcement are 20th Century Fox, G4, Paramount Pictures, Kadokowa Pictures USA, Lionsgate, MTV Networks, Starz Media, and Palm Pictures. The partnership agreements have also helped them to secure another round of financing in the 15 to 25 million dollar ballpark.

That's the happy fluffy bunny part of the announcement. What none of the stories floating around get into is how this is all going to shake down for the customers. This is certainly a case where the devil will be in the details, and knowing only what we know now, I'm not too excited about the service's prospects.