This Week in TV:

Better Call Saul lands Breaking Bad alums Thomas Schnauz and Gennifer Hutchison; Academy Award nominee Judy Davis (Husbands and Wives) joins the cast of 24: Live Another Day; Lionsgate TV announces a series based on the creation of Twitter; and From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series adds three new cast members, including Jake Busey (Starship Troopers) and Adrianne Palicki (G.I. Joe: Retaliation).

Better Call Saul co-creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould were hoping to secure more of the creative talent behind Breaking Bad for their new spin-off series, and this week, they did just that by landing Breaking Bad co-executive producer Thomas Schnauz and exec story editor Gennifer Hutchison.

Breaking Bad writers room

Schnauz, who earned an Emmy nomination for penning the Breaking Bad episode "Say My Name," will serve as a co-executive producer on the upcoming Saul Goodman-centered prequel series, which Gould is running. Hutchinson, who also earned several writing credits on notable episodes, such as "Confessions," is set to join the Better Call Saul writer's room as well.

There's no doubt that having writers on board who already know the Goodman character inside and out will serve the new series well, which is why Gould and Gilligan are reportedly planning to recruit more of the old Breaking Bad staff for the spin-off. The show will focus on Goodman's shady law practice before he got involved with Walter White.

Here's the new logline for the show:

“From parking tickets to mass murder, from slip-and-fall to bond fraud, Saul handles it all.”

There is no premiere date yet for Better Call Saul, but after hearing that Sony TV struck a deal with Netflix to have the first season available for streaming in 2014, we can reasonably expect to see the show premiere on AMC early next year.

Source: Variety

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With FOX's follow-up event series 24: Live Another Day set to air early next year, it continued to round out its cast this week, adding series newcomer Judy Davis (Husbands and Wives) to the London-based production.

Judy Davis joins 24 Live Another Day

The two-time Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner was originally in talks to play a German arms dealer, but after a character description change, has joined the cast in a recurring role as a British national who also happens to be the widow of a notorious terrorist.

While it's unclear how many of the 12 episodes Davis will appear in, we can't rule out the possibility of her character still being a baddie. After all, when Jack Bauer is in town, enemies and unlikely threats seem to emerge from just about anywhere.

Davis will join returning stars Kim Raver (Audrey Raines), Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe O'Brian), William Devane (James Heller) and, of course, Kiefer Sutherland in the new series which picks up four years after the events of the original series finale. As before, the story will still take place over 24 hours, but will deviate slightly from the real-time format of the original show, skipping chunks of time between some episodes.

24: Live Another Day is set to premiere in May 2014 on FOX.

Source: TV Line

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This week, Lionsgate TV announced it is currently developing a series based on Nick Bilton's bestselling book Hatching Twitter: A True Story of Money, Power, Friendship, And Betrayal.

Hatching Twitter

Bilton, a New York Times reporter and columnist, will adapt the book for television himself and serve as a producer on the show, which will tell the story of four friends coming together to create a revolutionary social media platform.

Said Lionsgate TV Group chairman Kevin Beggs about the show:

“Twitter has transformed almost every aspect of our lives from politics to business to friendship, and I can’t think of a more compelling story to adapt for television right now. Nick’s book has all the elements of a great drama with its complex characters, high-stakes power struggles and betrayed friendships.”

For many, the announcement of the show will bring to mind David Fincher's 2010 film The Social Network, which told the behind-the-scenes story of the creation of another social media giant, Facebook. From what we've heard so far, both origin stories seem similar, but those behind the potential Twitter-based series are suggesting otherwise.

Said executive producer Allison Shearmur:

“'The Social Network' was a perfect film, and this series will be different, providing a longer view of the work life changes, gamesmanship and personal sacrifices made by a group of individuals who are building a company that will change the way that people communicate."

We'll pass along more information on Lionsgate TV's Twitter project as it develops.

Source: Deadline

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With its premiere on the new El Rey Network rapidly approaching, casting for From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series is almost complete, especially after adding Jake Busey (Starship Troopers), Adrianne Palicki (G.I. Joe: Retaliation) and Lane Garrison (Prison Break) this past week.

Jake Busey Cast in From Dusk Till Dawn series

While the series is said to be staying close to the plot of the original film, Busey and Palicki are set to portray new characters. Busey will play Professor Aiden Tanner, a character described as "an eccentric intellectual obsessed with the Mesoamerican mythology behind the vampires," while Palicki will play a woman from Seth Gecko's past named Vanessa Styles. Meanwhile, Garrison will join the ensemble as Pete, a character played by John Hawkes in the original Robert Rodriguez gorefest.

The trio of new cast members will join Robert Patrick (Terminator 2: Judgement Day) as Jacob Fuller, Madison Davenport (Shameless) as Kate Fuller, Brandon Soo Hoo (Ender’s Game) as Scott Fuller, D.J. Cotrona (G.I. Joe: Retaliation) as Seth Gecko, Zane Holtz (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) as the crazed Richie Gecko, Don Johnson (Django Unchained) as Sheriff Earl McGraw, Wilmer Valderrama (That '70s Show) as crime lord Carlos, and Eiza Gonzalez as vampire queen Santánico Pandemonium.

With production already underway in Austin, Texas, From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series is set to premiere its 10-episode first season as the El Rey Network's first scripted series in early 2014.

Source: El Rey Network