CBS Drama Development Update – 02/04/10

February 4, 2010 By 5 Comments

[Updated 05-FEB-10] Earlier this week, CBS added four more drama pilots to their shopping list, bringing the tally to a total of 10 dramas for the current pilot season:

Kristin Dos Santos blogged yesterday about Rob Lowe possibly joining the Criminal Minds spinoff cast, a rumor that has been denied by both CBS and ABC. She also writes that the pilot will be filmed between February 13 and March 3 and possibly air as episode 18 in the current season of the original show.

THR reports that Michael Kelly (The Sopranos) has joined the Criminal Minds spinoff cast as former gangbanger, Prophet.

You’ll notice that in the DEVWATCH, the remake of The Streets of San Francisco is now nowhere to be found and Private still has not been ordered to pilot. With already 10 pilot orders placed, it’s possible that this project may be put on the back burner.

On the Hawaii Five-O front, there is no further news about Alex O’Loughlin’s involvement, but I do have some interesting info nevertheless:

  • From recent tweets, it appears that Dean McDermott has auditioned for the role of Danno!
  • A great Hawaii Five-O resource is http://www.mjq.net/fiveo/. There is also an old TV Guide article there from 1969 about Jack Lord. It appears that he was called “Mick” by his wife and starred in a show called Stoney Burke that lasted one season before he joined Hawaii Five-O, which went on to run successfully for 12 seasons. As Stoney Burke, Lord had a large fan following. Some would call this synchronicity ;-). Thanks to Gothmyst for sharing this information!

Meanwhile, we will continue to wait impatiently for further news from Alex O’Loughlin!

[tags]alex o’loughlin, alex o’lachlan, hawaii five-o, steve mcgarrett[/tags]

Filed Under: Alex O'Loughlin, Hawaii Five-0, TV Tagged With: , , , ,

CBS Drama Development Update – 01/29/10

January 29, 2010 By 3 Comments

It looks like we can safely cross the Criminal Minds spinoff  from our list of possible shows for Alex O’Loughlin. Not only is Oscar winner Forest Whitaker close to signing on the dotted line after lengthy negotiations for the role of team leader Sam Cooper, but yesterday also brought the news that British actor Matt Ryan is being eyed to play Mick Fleming, a former British Special Forces sniper. You can catch up on both developments at The Hollywood Reporter:

The current status for CBS this pilot season, according to DEVWATCH, is 6 pilot orders and 9 script orders (3 of which come with a penalty attached). The latest orders are for Chaos, Defenders and the project formerly called The Rememberer.

Nina Tassler mentioned at the TCA earlier this month that CBS expects to pick up 3 new dramas from a pool of 9 pilots. With the Criminal Minds spinoff being introduced on a spring episode of the existing show, it is almost certain to be picked up for the fall-winter season, so that would leave 2 drama slots left to be filled.

Also worth a read is ‘Ugly Betty’ cast in demand, Nets salivating over actors from canceled, bubble shows.

Okay, on to the sunny shores of the Hawaiian Islands… ;-) Whether or not Alex will be taking on the role of Steve McGarrett, there certainly is a lot of buzz about the Hawaii Five-O remake! Here are some of the latest mentions.

From Ask Matt at TV Guide:

Question: I hear a rumor buzzing around that CBS is eyeing Alex O’Loughlin for a remake of Hawaii Five-O. Any inside scoop coming your way on this or just rumors flying around again?—Eva

Matt Roush: This was all the buzz coming out of the TCA press tour, and I haven’t seen anyone deny it, so consider this one a valid rumor and a work in progress. This remake has been gestating at CBS for quite a while, and with Alex a free agent again and the network still yearning to be in business with him (after two failed series, one of which was canceled prematurely), it all makes perfect sense to me. A blue-sky action procedural should be a much better fit for him than was this season’s maudlin medical drama.

TV Guide also published a snippet in their February 1st issue – check out the scan provided by Alavenia.

The well-respected Canadian magazine MacLeans today posted an informative article about modern formula television (specifically dramas) and Hawaii Five-O was mentioned there too:

Back in the ’60s and ’70s, people who wrote for Hawaii 5-0 were told that the show wasn’t really about McGarrett or his fellow cops most weeks; the show was about the criminals. And that meant every episode was heavily focused on the story of the week. But now that Hawaii 5-0 is being remade, one thing that’s certain is that it will have many more regular characters than the original, and a lot more time every week will be spent on those regulars. The story will be a device to get those characters doing their thing, and the characters’ personal reactions to the mystery will be very important.

Read the full story at MacLeans.ca

Oh, and this just popped up in a Google alert:

Question: Why are police called 5 o?
Answer: It came from a television show called Hawaii 5-0 because Hawaii is the 50th state. In Hawaii, that was the street name for them.

As shooting for the Hawaii Five-O pilot is rumored to take place in March, we can expect the cast to be announced before filming commences. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that we won’t have to wait at least another month before we hear what Alex decides to do!

Filed Under: Alex O'Loughlin, Hawaii Five-0, TV Tagged With: , , , ,

AOLR Weekly Wrap-Up #27

January 24, 2010 By 3 Comments

I skipped last week’s wrap-up because it was pretty quiet, and so of course this week’s is a lot longer than I had anticipated ;-)!

  • With the release of CBS Films’s first feature last week (Extraordinary Measures), a number of articles have cropped up about the network’s film division, including one by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Rob Owen: CBS isn’t just TV, it’s films too. The focus is on how the company keeps the production and marketing costs to a minimum:

Even with Harrison Ford in a lead role, Moonves said “Measures” cost just $32 million.

“The next one with J. Lo cost $34 [million], so we’ve still stayed within our boundaries,” he said. Jennifer Lopez stars with Alex O’Loughlin (“Three Rivers”) in “The Back-Up Plan,” due in theaters April 16. It will be the second of what’s expected to be no more than six CBS Films releases per year. “There’s low risk and big reward. We’re not going to do ‘Transformers’ or ‘Pirates of the Caribbean.’ ”

By making movies, CBS Films also feeds its other businesses. After movies run in theaters, they’ll move to Showtime for their premium cable premiere. Ads for the films can run on CBS-owned TV and radio stations and appear on CBS-owned billboards in major media markets. A behind-the-scenes special about the movie aired Saturday afternoon on KDKA, a CBS-owned and -operated station.

  • The LA Times too posted a lengthy piece about CBS Films and how it marketed Extraordinary Measures by utilizing billboards, radio ads and television spots. It should also give you a good indication of what we can expect for The Back-up Plan. I’m looking forward to seeing Alex O’Loughlin on some huge billboards!

There has been widespread skepticism about CBS’ entry into the movie business, especially considering the shaky track record of new film companies in recent years. Industryites have also scoffed at the new film division’s plan to make $30-million to $50-million mid-budget movies at a time when the rest of Hollywood has been racing to get out of the mid-budget arena, pointing to a long list of “tweener” films that have crashed and burned at the box office, even with movie stars in leading roles. (“The Blind Side” was a recent mid-budget film that had enormous success, but most industry insiders view that film as a pleasant surprise, not a trend setter.)

However, Moonves contends that CBS Films has a unique built-in advantage over its rivals, especially when it comes to reining in the skyrocketing marketing costs that have eaten up much of the potential profits from mid-sized films’ grosses. That’s where those billboards and radio stations come in. Though Moonves won’t give an exact figure, he says CBS will spend “significantly less” in marketing dollars to get the same marketing boost as rival studios who routinely spend $30 million to $40 million to open a new release.

  • CBS itself too published an article in the February issue of CBS Watch! about CBS Films’ upcoming releases, and that of course includes a paragraph on The Back-up Plan with a nice still of Alex and Jennifer. Many thanks to Alavenia for the scan!
  • Also mentioned in the Watch! item is Consent to Kill, which will apparently be CBS Films’ first stab at a feature in the action thriller genre and Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, Shooter) has been recruited to direct this adaptation of Vince Flynn’s sixth novel in the “Mitch Rapp” series. It appears that CBS Films have had their eye on counterterrorism operative Mitch Rapp for quite a while. Flynn’s biography at Amazon states that “CBS Films optioned the rights for Flynn’s Mitch Rapp character with the intention of creating a character-based, action-thriller movie franchise” shortly after Flynn’s ninth novel in the series made the New York Times bestseller list in October 2007. The author himself sounds quite intriguing. The bio shares that  “Flynn’s novels are taken so seriously one high-ranking CIA official told his people, ‘I want you to read Flynn’s books and start thinking about how we can more effectively wage this war on terror.’” Move over, James Bond!
  • And if you still can’t get enough of CBS Films, there’s also The New York Times’ article With New Films, CBS Charts Tough Middle Course!
  • Funnyman Robert Klein, who plays Zoe’s gynecologist in The Back-up Plan, recently did a television interview about the movie with Colorado & Company that will certainly put a smile on your face. Thanks to Nadioz for the video!
  • While we wait for further news, there is more buzz for Alex in Australia about Hawaii Five-O at  TVAusCast.com and CinemaBlend has this to say about him:

    • O’Loughlin is a good casting choice as he has the right charisma and charm to pull off the role. Plus, the ladies can swoon over him in a beautiful tropical setting as opposed to a sterile hospital, or brooding in his darkened apartment. Don’t get me wrong, the brooding is well-received as well, but now he could brood over crystal blue waters and palm trees.

  • An intriguing tweet from Hawaii actress Tracy Bautista appeared yesterday: Hawaii 5-O shooting pilot in Hawaii this March. The Hawaii Film Office has not published any information (yet) on their website, but their head Donne Dawson did make some interesting comments about the pilot in an October 2009 article by The Honolulu Advertiser.
  • And last, but not least, Donate Life Today, the official registry serving the states of Washington and Montana,  is currently campaigning to add 1,000 new Facebook fans by January 27th. You can help them achieve their goal by not only becoming a fan yourself, but also by inviting friends to join. Just go to their Facebook page!



Snark by Gothmyst. More fan art in the AOLR Gallery!

Filed Under: Weekly Wrap-Up Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Alex O’Loughlin’s Year in Review: 2009

January 7, 2010 By 11 Comments

The year 2009 was a hectic one for Alex O’Loughlin and his fans alike! We were treated to a lot of anxiety and excitement, and also had to deal with the cancellation of Three Rivers. Some occasions you may have already forgotten, so here’s a rewind of the past year’s most memorable moments!

January 20 – Moonlight: the Complete Series is released on DVD in North America and makes the #1 position on Billboard’s Top DVD Sales list in the first week of February.

February 5 – After a long absence, the message the fans across the globe have been waiting for appears when Alex O’Loughlin blogs “I’m back!”

February 11 – Michael Ausiello and Matt Mitovich report that Alex is returning to CBS starting with a guest starring role on an episode of Criminal Minds… as a serial killer!

March 6 – A three-month drought comes to an end when the first new photo of Alex appears, taken on the set of Criminal Minds.

March 11 – Moonlight earns a nod from The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films when the nominations are announced for the 35th Annual Saturn Awards. The show is up for an award in the category “Best Television Series Release on DVD”.

March 12 – An article said to have been published by Melbourne’s Herald Sun triggers rumors in the fandom about Alex winning the lead role in the CBS pilot for Three Rivers. The article itself never surfaces on the newspaper’s website and CBS stays mum on the topic the pilot.

March 17 – The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette confirms that Alex is in negotiations about his role in the Three Rivers pilot.

March 26 – After two long weeks of sitting on pins and needles, fans are relieved and elated when Alex himself confirms his Three Rivers plans.

April 7 – While Alex is in Pittsburgh shooting the Three Rivers pilot, reports surface on the web that he is either in negotiations for or has been cast as the male lead in CBS Films’ feature, The Back-up Plan, opposite Jennifer Lopez.

April  15 – TV Guide Magazine publishes the first quality interview of the year with Alex, who talks about his upcoming projects and more.

April 21 – CBS Films send a message to several fan sites confirming the casting of Alex O’Loughlin in The Back-up Plan and provides us with the official synopsis.

April 25 – TV Guide Magazine shares some hot outtakes and behind the scenes images from Alex’s photoshoot for their “sexiest” May 2008 issue.

April 29 – Criminal Minds episode The Big Wheel with guest star Alex O’Loughlin airs on CBS and his inspired performance receives, ah… killer reviews.

May 2 – Alex shares a quick update on MySpace with his fans.

May 9 - Alex attends the Noche de Niños Gala 2009, an annual charity event benefiting Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. It is his first official public appearance of the year and TV Guide captures him briefly on video.

May 13 – Three months of manic movie madness kick off when The Back-up Plan goes into production! It begins when Alex O’Loughlin and Jennifer Lopez are captured on video leaving a filming location: video 1, video 2.

May 14 – Alex (wearing a T-shirt with the caption “No Pictures”) and Jennifer are shooting at the Elements Kitchen in Pasadena today and paparazzi are the source of photos from the rehearsals, the night shoot and video 1 and video 2.

May 15 – The night shoot continues, but filming moves to the backyard of the Elements Kitchen for a different scene.

May 17 – Alex shows up at the Crustacean Beverly Hills where The Bash is held, a benefit for Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. The Shield stars Walton Goggins and Michael Chiklis are also present.

May 20 – CBS announces Three Rivers‘ pickup at the network’s upfront presentation in New York City. Alex chats with E! Online about playing a (hot) doctor and is snapped by a paparazzo when he leaves his hotel, looking very cute wearing glasses.

May 25 – Enjoying a break on Memorial Day, Alex goes to Culver City to see a man about his bike…

June 3 - Entertainment Tonight airs an interview with Jennifer and Alex on the set of The Back-up Plan.

June 5 – Two unique photos of a bearded Alex taken at Pebble Beach in August 2008 are kindly provided for publishing by Python Racing Australia.

June 9 - The trailer for Australians Hit Hollywood, a documentary by Kalee StClair, is discovered on YouTube. It also features Alex, with footage dating from his Moonlight days. Three more videos with Alex follow later: advice, slang and accents.

June 13 – At the Donate Life Hollywood Film Festival, the Three Rivers pilot is honored with the Inspire Award.

June 16 – Paparazzi are ready to snap pictures and video tape the arrival of Jennifer Lopez on the Elks Lodge set of The Back-up Plan in Pasadena. The Whiteout trailer first surfaces on the web, two years after the movie was shot.

June 17 – Alex attends a screening at LA’s Harmony Gold Theater of The Tender Hook, a movie with fellow Aussie Matt Le Nevez,  a familiar face from Man-Thing and FEED.

June 18 – Alex and Jennifer return to the Elements Kitchen to rehearse and reshoot some scenes. The Aussie speed demon also finds the time to pick up his revamped  bike!

June 19 – Another scene involving spilled wine and an accidental fire is shot in Pasadena.

June 24 - With a press release CBS communicates the premiere dates for the Fall shows. Three Rivers will air on October 4th… a Sunday. In Burbank, California, the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films announces that Moonlight has won the Saturn Award in the category “Best Television Series Release on DVD”. Not bad for Alex’s “little show”!

July 5 – The first of 26 non-episodic commercials for Three Rivers is aired.

July 16 – The Back-up Plan production moves to New York City and mere hours after they’re made, the first paparazzi photos of Alex and Jennifer appear on the internet. Many more photos and videos follow while they are in New York.

July 24 – Jennifer Lopez turns 40 and Alex toasts her on the set of The Back-up Plan at midnight. Celebrating is done in style at the Hotel Griffou in Greenwich Village later that evening.

July 25 – The last day of filming takes Alex to Forest Park in Queens. That night he attends An Evening for Lola at the Edison Ballroom in NYC, where Jennifer is treated to a surprise party organized by hubby Marc.

July 30 – Back in LA to start work on Three Rivers, Alex blogs about shooting The Back-up Plan and expresses his gratitude to his fans for their support.

July 31 - Three Rivers kicks off the TCA Summer Press Tour for CBS from the show’s Paramount set.

August 3 – Alex attends CBS’ TCA Summer Tour All-Star Party at Pasadena’s Huntington Library.

August 5 – The first official stills of Alex O’Loughlin are released by CBS Films to AlexO’LoughlinRocks and Stan on a tractor causes quite a stir!

August 16 – Alex returns to Pittsburgh to film more scenes for Three Rivers, including a rugby scene and the local CBS affiliate airs a segment.

August 24 – Alex turns 33 today and celebrates his “best birthday ever”!

August 29 – Two excerpts about Alex from a book written by The Casting Company are found on the web. The authors are full of praise when they write about his “hotness factor” and his James Bond audition in 2005.

September 6 – It’s him again: Alex blogs!

September 7 – After two years, Alex returns to chat with Craig Ferguson on the Late Late Show – check out the video, the parts that weren’t aired and the pictures!

September 8 – The Season 4 DVD set is released of Criminal Minds and “Working the Scene” is a special feature in which Alex O’Loughlin and Simon Mirren talk about The Big Wheel.

September 9 – After its release was postponed several times, Whiteout finally premieres in LA, with pictures galore of a gorgeous and relaxed Alex on the white carpet.

September 15 – With some practice with Dodgers’ trainer Todd Tomczyk under his belt, Alex braves the crowds at Dodger Stadium to throw the ceremonial first pitch for the LA Dodgers versus Pittsburgh Pirates game. CBS Films releases another shirtless still of Alex O’Loughlin, this time to LovelyLopez.net.

September 16 – Alex attends CBS’ New Season Premiere Party at MyHouse Nightclub in Hollywood.

September 19 – Alex is spotted at GBK Productions’ 2009 Emmy Gift Lounge, A Bazaar for the Senses, held at a private estate in Beverly Hills.

September 29 – Alex delights the audience and talk show host Bonnie Hunt when he appears on her show. His account of throwing the ceremonial first pitch for the Dodgers’ game is comical and the guest himself is absolutely charming.

September 30 – To support The Back-up Plan director Alan Poul, who receives a Special Outie Award, Alex is present at the Outfest Legacy Awards at the Directors Guild of America in LA.

October 1 – Alex’s first ever live chat with fans lasts 62 minutes, but the fans are left with memories that will last a lifetime. In a press release, CBS announces its partnership with Donate Life America.

October 2 – The mutual respect between Alex and Dr. Gonzo is apparent when they both appear on The Doctors.

October 4 – Three Rivers premieres on CBS, but the ratings are disheartening.

October 5 – A video message from Alex is shown at an international convention about organ donation in Berlin.

October 12 – Various media outlets report that the 2010 US release date for The Back-up Plan has been pushed back from January 22 to March 12, in favor Harrison Ford’s movie, Extraordinary Measures.

October 16 – Alex blogs about Three Rivers.

October 29 – One of several PSAs that Alex made for Donate Life airs tonight.

November 10 – Alex attends TV Guide Magazine’s Hot List Party at LA’s SLS Hotel. The Aussie hunk is also one of TV Guide’s Sexiest Stars of 2009.

November 11 – Watch aficionado and IWC timepiece owner Alex is part of the group of celebrities attending an exhibition of Michael Muller’s Galapagos Islands photographs. The event is organized by Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen in support of The Charles Darwin Foundation and takes place at Milk Studios’ Hollywood branch.

November 13 – WHO magazine’s annual “Sexiest People” issue hits the newsstands in Australia and Alex is featured with a smoking hot new picture!

November 18 – Shortly after CBS Films announce having signed an international distribution deal with Sony Pictures, the release date for The Back-up Plan is once again changed on the movie’s official site. The film is now set to open on April 16.

November 25 – The first movie poster for The Back-up Plan is spotted, displayed in a mall.

November 30 – THR’s James Hibberd reports that CBS has pulled Three Rivers, effective immediately, but that all episodes of the initial order of 13 will be completed. Episode 8 was the last one aired. According to various sources, CBS says the show is “on hiatus”.  Alex himself, however, blogs that the show is cancelled and that he is beginning his “process of detachment and will be in touch soon”.

December 3 – Looking fit and relaxed just days after the news broke of the cancellation of Three Rivers, Alex enjoys An Intimate Evening with Alex Band, a Donate Life Rocks event benefiting Donate Life at Cafe Was in Hollywood. He has confirmed his intention to continue his relationship with the charity. CBS Films releases the first movie poster for The Back-up Plan online.

December 14 – An HQ version of a second movie poster for The Back-up Plan is released.

December 15 – This marks the last day of production for Alex on Three Rivers, although for many other cast members, December 14 was their final day on the set.

December 16 – The Elephant Project posts a picture of Alex on Twitter. Taken on December 15 at Paramount, Alex’s photo will be auctioned on eBay with the proceeds going to the Alzheimer’s Association.

December 17 – Alex dedicates a Donate Life float Family Circle Rose in memory of Fernando Fernandez Alejandre.

December 18 – Yahoo! Movies has the premiere for the first official trailer for The Back-up Plan in HD.

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“Criminal Minds” Spin-off Characters Revealed

December 15, 2009 By 6 Comments

Those of us who are speculating on Alex O’Loughlin’s next project will find it interesting to know that casting descriptions were recently released for one of the shows on the list of several possibles! We’re already aware that CBS has ordered a pilot for the Criminal Minds spin-off — remember, the apparent intent is to introduce the new show in an episode of the existing one in the spring of 2010 — and Spoiler TV recently published some more details about the characters involved.

The pilot is expected to be shot between February 16th and March 5th.

[COOPER] 45-50, all ethnicities. The team leader, he’s fierce in his loyalty and mysterious in his daily life. A former star profiler in the BAU, he’s been off the radar for the last eight years – leaving only a trail of rumors and legend in his wake. He runs a team that exists outside of FBI bureaucracy and is intensely loyal to him.

[GINA] 28-32, all ethnicities. She’s strong, intelligent. Raised in a tough neighborhood in Baltimore, she managed to avoid the streets. Got straight-A’s. Was the first person in her family to ever go to college. Recruited from school to the FBI, she finished at the top of her class at Quantico but was destined to work deep cover in the same streets she’d managed to escape. Her father died before he could learn that she hadn’t wasted her life. After she quit the FBI, Cooper talked her back by inviting her onto his team.

[MICK] 30, all ethnicities. Formerly of the British Special Forces, though he was discharged for reasons that remain classified. Expert sniper. Survivalist. He was educated at Cambridge but his demeanor is more charmingly rakish than posh. He’s as adept verbally as he is physically and he knows it. Part puppy, part guard dog.

[PROPHET] 30s, African American. A former gang-banger from L.A. He did seven years in prison for drug trafficking but found Jesus in jail. He’s street-smart, connected but also incredibly dexterous at quoting scripture. He feels this unit is his chance at redemption – a way to direct his street skills toward a noble end.


The cast of Criminal Minds shared their thoughts on a possible spin-off recently with TV Guide (issue November 16-22):

Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but in the case of the Criminal Minds spin-off — due to premiere on CBS this spring — it’s also triggered some professional envy. “We’re not jumping up and down for it,” admits Minds’ A.J. Cook (Jennifer Jareau). “We’re a little jealous. It’s typical actor behavior: ‘Look at me!’” Minds producer Chris Mundy is currently crafting an outline for the spin-off slated for a February shoot, but no cast has yet been named. “We feel a little threatened,” Cook adds. “Are they going to take some stories away from us? We don’t want them to put their energy on anyone but us.”

Minds star Thomas Gibson (Arron Hotchner) is baffled by the premise of the spin-off. The original show is based on the idea that there is only one BAU unit in the FBI. “I was operating under the impression that we were the only ones,” he says. “We were it — that’s what made us special.” But a spin-off suggests that another BAU unit exists. “Most of the time I think spin-offs are a crass grab at capitalizing on something that’s worked,” Gibson says. “But occasionally they’ve been great… Best of luck.” — Lisa Berhard

[tags]alex o’loughlin, alex o’lachlan, criminal minds spinoff, cbs[/tags]

Filed Under: Alex O'Loughlin, Criminal Minds, TV Tagged With: , , ,
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