This Week in TV:
NBC's Heroes reboot Heroes Reborn add more people to its cast; Miramax begins development on a TV adaptation of The Brothers Grimm; PBS says Downton Abbey will end after season 6; Chris Coy joins Banshee season 4 as a series regular; and Disney Junior announces Muppet Moments.
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NBC's 13-episode miniseries Heroes Reborn has added Robbie Kay (Once Upon a Time) and Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 star Judith Shekoni (pictured below) to its cast.
Details on Kay and Shekoni's roles are being kept under wraps for now. We do know that both will be portraying new characters alongside returning Heroes alum Jack Coleman, who will be reprising his role as Noah Bennet (a.k.a the Man in Horn-Rimmed Glasses). The two new cast members also join Zachary Levi (Chuck) and Danika Yarosh (Shameless) in the reboot that "chronicles the lives of ordinary people who discover that they possess extraordinary abilities."
Like the original cult-favorite series that aired for four seasons (2006-2010), Heroes Reborn appears to be assembling a diverse cast of up-and-comers to portray its new batch of everyday heroes. Kay is coming off playing the villainous Peter Pan on ABC's fantasy drama Once Upon a Time, while Shekoni recently guest starred on FOX's Backstrom.
With Heroes Reborn set to premiere sometime in 2015, we should be learning more about its characters soon. And when we do, we'll be sure to pass that info along.
Source: E!
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Miramax announced it is currently developing a television series based on the 2005 film The Brothers Grimm.
After identifying the film - which starred Matt Damon and the late Heath Ledger as the titular brothers - from its library as a source of TV potential, Miramax hired the film's screenwriter, Ehren Kruger, to pen the small-screen adaptation. Reportedly, he'll be building off the origin story from the movie for a series that will "follow the swashbuckling adventures of brothers Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm, who discover startling mythology and supernatural stakes behind the folklore sweeping 19th century Europe."
At this early stage of development, it's unclear if the series will take on a monster-of-the-week procedural format - like that of NBC's Grimm - or if it will work with a larger overarching narrative played throughout an entire season. However, we do know its tone will lean dark, according to Kruger, who said this about the show:
“The original stories the Brothers set out to collect were not for the faint of heart and we’ll be making a show that gets back to those origins and their cautionary, scary, thrilling spirit."
We'll continue to update you on The Brothers Grimm TV show as the project develops.
Source: Deadline
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PBS has announced that popular period drama Downton Abbey will end following its upcoming sixth season.
While the drama has remained a hit with critics and audiences throughout its run, the show is reportedly ending due to the cast wanting to move on. The actors' contracts are set to expire after the next season of Downton, and only a small percentage of the ensemble was prepared to sign on for another round of the series.
Said an Downton insider:
“You can keep the show going without Matthew and Sybill, but you can’t continue it without the entire Crawley family.”
The silver lining for Downton Abbey fans is that series creator Julian Fellowes now has a solid end date to work toward, which should allow him time to set up a satisfying conclusion for the acclaimed drama.
Downton Abbey returns to ITV for its sixth and final season later this year for U.K. audiences, and will conclude for U.S. viewers in early 2016.
Source: TV Line
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Less than two weeks after wrapping up its third season, Cinemax's Banshee is already looking ahead to season 4, and recently promoted Chris Coy (The Walking Dead) to series regular.
Coy originally appeared as Calvin Bunker, Kurt's (Tom Pelphery) brother, in a guest starring role in the show's season 3 finale - and he will be reprising that role in the upcoming season. At this point, we don't know much about the character, but he is described as someone who "hides his true feelings behind a mild exterior."
A performer who is apparently attracted to darker material, Coy recently finished a guest stint on The Walking Dead's fifth season as Martin, a member of Gareth's cannibal gang. He also appeared in the 2014 horror film Deliver Us from Evil.
Banshee season 4 doesn't have a premiere date yet, but it should return to Cinemax in early 2016.
Source: Deadline
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Disney Junior is producing a short-form Muppets series titled Muppet Moments. Check out a clip of the new show below.
Featuring appearances from Muppet favorites such as Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Animal and Gonzo, the show targeted at young children is described as "a series of amusing conversations between Muppets and young kids about everyday topics including ‘apologies,’ ‘favorite foods’ and ‘manners.’" New shorts will air each day on Disney Junior from April 3 to May 8 and those episodes will continue to air throughout the year. The show will also be available to stream online, as well as via the WATCH Disney Junior app.
The first four episodes of Muppet Moments will air April 3 @8:25 a.m., 8:55 a.m. 9:25 a.m. and 9:55 a.m. ET/PT on Disney Junior.
Source: Disney Junior