E! is no longer in business with the Kardashians, but the network is still leaning on the family as it launches its latest show.
In an overtly self-aware moment, E! is readying to debut a new reality show about comedian Nikki Glaser, and in the promotion for her upcoming series, the network is in on the joke, giving a wink and a nod to the lucrative family franchise that they aired for 15 years.
“Keeping up is so last year.”
“We swapped 5 brunettes for one blonde (it was cheaper).”
Those are just some of the taglines E! is using to promote Glaser’s new show, titled “Welcome Home Nikki Glaser?,” which premieres on May 1.
Essentially, E! is recognizing that they’re no longer home to “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” (the family now has a new show at Hulu), and Glaser is leaning into her brand of self-deprecating and carefree comedy.
In an overtly self-aware moment, E! is readying to debut a new reality show about comedian Nikki Glaser, and in the promotion for her upcoming series, the network is in on the joke, giving a wink and a nod to the lucrative family franchise that they aired for 15 years.
“Keeping up is so last year.”
“We swapped 5 brunettes for one blonde (it was cheaper).”
Those are just some of the taglines E! is using to promote Glaser’s new show, titled “Welcome Home Nikki Glaser?,” which premieres on May 1.
Essentially, E! is recognizing that they’re no longer home to “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” (the family now has a new show at Hulu), and Glaser is leaning into her brand of self-deprecating and carefree comedy.
- 4/22/2022
- by Elizabeth Wagmeister
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has acquired the North American rights to “Penguin Bloom,” a drama based on a true story and starring Naomi Watts that premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.
Netflix also snagged rights in the UK, France and select countries in Asia, though not worldwide, and the film will debut on the platform on Jan. 27.
Glendyn Ivin directs the film that also stars Andrew Lincoln, Jacki Weaver and Rachel House. Watts stars in “Penguin Bloom” as Samantha Bloom, who in real life was an active outdoors-woman of a mom of three who became paralyzed from the chest down after a fall and found solace in a wild magpie that her kids named Penguin. The film looks at her road to recovery and acceptance of her new self.
Shaun Grant and Harry Cripps wrote the screenplay based on the book by Sam Bloom’s husband Cameron Bloom and Bradley Trevor Greive.
Netflix also snagged rights in the UK, France and select countries in Asia, though not worldwide, and the film will debut on the platform on Jan. 27.
Glendyn Ivin directs the film that also stars Andrew Lincoln, Jacki Weaver and Rachel House. Watts stars in “Penguin Bloom” as Samantha Bloom, who in real life was an active outdoors-woman of a mom of three who became paralyzed from the chest down after a fall and found solace in a wild magpie that her kids named Penguin. The film looks at her road to recovery and acceptance of her new self.
Shaun Grant and Harry Cripps wrote the screenplay based on the book by Sam Bloom’s husband Cameron Bloom and Bradley Trevor Greive.
- 11/30/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
“Penguin Bloom,” the Toronto International Film Festival player led by Naomi Watts, has been acquired by Netflix in key territories.
The streamer will roll out the film in North America, the U.K., France and select countries in Asia on Jan. 27.
Oscar nominee Watts stars in the real-life survival story of Samantha Bloom, an active and vibrant Australian mom who is paralyzed from the chest down on holiday with her family. Her struggle to forge ahead is helped along by a wounded baby magpie her kids take in, named Penguin.
Glendyn Ivin directs from a script by Shaun Grant and Harry Cripps, based on the book by Bloom’s husband Cameron Bloom and Bradley Trevor Greive.
Andrew Lincoln, Jacki Weaver, Rachel House, Leeanna Walsman, Lisa Hensley, Griffin Murray-Johnston, Felix Cameron and Abe Clifford-Barr co-star.
Ivin directed the short film “Cracker Bag,” which was awarded the Palme d’Or at Cannes,...
The streamer will roll out the film in North America, the U.K., France and select countries in Asia on Jan. 27.
Oscar nominee Watts stars in the real-life survival story of Samantha Bloom, an active and vibrant Australian mom who is paralyzed from the chest down on holiday with her family. Her struggle to forge ahead is helped along by a wounded baby magpie her kids take in, named Penguin.
Glendyn Ivin directs from a script by Shaun Grant and Harry Cripps, based on the book by Bloom’s husband Cameron Bloom and Bradley Trevor Greive.
Andrew Lincoln, Jacki Weaver, Rachel House, Leeanna Walsman, Lisa Hensley, Griffin Murray-Johnston, Felix Cameron and Abe Clifford-Barr co-star.
Ivin directed the short film “Cracker Bag,” which was awarded the Palme d’Or at Cannes,...
- 11/30/2020
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
People often contend with their physical and emotional trauma in drastically different ways, and only begin to heal on their own terms, when they’re truly ready to do so. That’s certainly the case for former Australian nurse and avid surfer, Samantha Bloom, whose life seemed to shatter after she endured a distressing accident while she […]
The post Toronto International Film Festival 2020 Interview: Naomi Watts, Andrew Lincoln and Jacki Weaver Talk Penguin Bloom appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Toronto International Film Festival 2020 Interview: Naomi Watts, Andrew Lincoln and Jacki Weaver Talk Penguin Bloom appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 9/14/2020
- by Karen Benardello
- ShockYa
Jonathan Groff and Anna Torv in ‘Mindhunter’ (Photo credit: Netflix).
Five Aussies played key creative roles in the second season of Mindhunter, the Netflix drama which follows the early investigative work of the FBI’s criminal psychology and criminal profiling division.
Damon Herriman joins the cast as serial killer Charles Manson in the series created by the UK-born, Adelaide-raised Joe Penhall and executive produced by David Fincher and Charlize Theron, which premieres on August 16.
Anna Torv reprises her role as Dr Wendy Carr, an intuitive psychologist who assists detectives Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany).
Kiwi-born, Australian-raised Andrew Dominik directed three episodes and Shaun Grant scripted the finale at the invitation of Theron. Fincher directed three episodes.
“Mindhunter has been a fantastic experience, the most creatively fulfilling I’ve had in television. David [Fincher] in particular has been a wonderful leader to collaborate with,” Grant tells If from Los Angeles,...
Five Aussies played key creative roles in the second season of Mindhunter, the Netflix drama which follows the early investigative work of the FBI’s criminal psychology and criminal profiling division.
Damon Herriman joins the cast as serial killer Charles Manson in the series created by the UK-born, Adelaide-raised Joe Penhall and executive produced by David Fincher and Charlize Theron, which premieres on August 16.
Anna Torv reprises her role as Dr Wendy Carr, an intuitive psychologist who assists detectives Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany).
Kiwi-born, Australian-raised Andrew Dominik directed three episodes and Shaun Grant scripted the finale at the invitation of Theron. Fincher directed three episodes.
“Mindhunter has been a fantastic experience, the most creatively fulfilling I’ve had in television. David [Fincher] in particular has been a wonderful leader to collaborate with,” Grant tells If from Los Angeles,...
- 7/14/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Glendyn Ivin (Photo credit: Sam Chiplin).
Glendyn Ivin was in Glasgow shooting the BBC/ABC psychological thriller The Cry last year when he got a call from his Us agent.
UTA’s Bec Smith wanted to know if the director was still interested in a screen adaptation of Penguin Bloom, an Australian book by Bradley Trevor Greive which he had read several years earlier.
He sure was: He’d been very moved by the story of Samantha Bloom, a young Sydney woman who broke her back after a railing snapped and she fell head-first six metres onto a concrete floor while holidaying with her family in Thailand in 2013.
After being diagnosed as a paraplegic, she slipped into depression and hopelessness until her son Noah found a frail, injured magpie chick. By caring for the little bird, which the family named Penguin for her black and white plumage, she regained her strength and confidence.
Glendyn Ivin was in Glasgow shooting the BBC/ABC psychological thriller The Cry last year when he got a call from his Us agent.
UTA’s Bec Smith wanted to know if the director was still interested in a screen adaptation of Penguin Bloom, an Australian book by Bradley Trevor Greive which he had read several years earlier.
He sure was: He’d been very moved by the story of Samantha Bloom, a young Sydney woman who broke her back after a railing snapped and she fell head-first six metres onto a concrete floor while holidaying with her family in Thailand in 2013.
After being diagnosed as a paraplegic, she slipped into depression and hopelessness until her son Noah found a frail, injured magpie chick. By caring for the little bird, which the family named Penguin for her black and white plumage, she regained her strength and confidence.
- 3/26/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Exclusive: Former Vice chief creative officer Eddy Moretti has launched Unbranded Pictures, and the company has gotten off to a rousing start. It is one of the producers on the Scott Z. Burns-directed The Report, which sold this morning at the Sundance Film Festival in a splashy $14 million world rights sale to Amazon Studios. The film becomes Unbranded Pictures’ first foray as a development, production and financing vehicle.
“Unbranded Pictures is a reflection of my lifelong passion for scripted storytelling for the big screen,” said Toronto-born Moretti. “The two-hour narrative – perfected by over a century of feature filmmaking – is a global cultural treasure, and we are entering a phase in which it will be increasingly valued as such. Our mission is to produce the work that will endure the test of time.”
The company is led by Moretti and longtime collaborator Sterling Proffer, former Svp Business Strategy & Development at Vice.
“Unbranded Pictures is a reflection of my lifelong passion for scripted storytelling for the big screen,” said Toronto-born Moretti. “The two-hour narrative – perfected by over a century of feature filmmaking – is a global cultural treasure, and we are entering a phase in which it will be increasingly valued as such. Our mission is to produce the work that will endure the test of time.”
The company is led by Moretti and longtime collaborator Sterling Proffer, former Svp Business Strategy & Development at Vice.
- 1/28/2019
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Oxygen has handed Svp stripes to a pair of its executives. The NBCUniversal-owned cable net has promoted Samantha Bloom to Svp Consumer Marketing & Promotion Strategy and Nancy Mazzei to Svp Creative & Brand Strategy. The news went out in an internal memo from Ellen Stone, Evp Marketing at Bravo and Oxygen Media. Since re-joining Oxygen in 2014, Bloom has played a key role in rebranding Oxygen first as a multicultural, female millennial network and now as a full-time…...
- 10/12/2017
- Deadline TV
In the years before James Alex Fields Jr. allegedly plowed through a crowd of counter-protestors in his car at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday — killing one and injuring at least 19 others — he openly shared views aligned with Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, his former high school history teacher tells People.
“This isn’t a guy who just decided ‘I’m going to go down there and check out this rally and a switch flipped,’ ” says Derek Weimer, 45, who says he taught Fields during the 20-year-old suspect’s junior and senior years at Randall K. Cooper High School in Union,...
“This isn’t a guy who just decided ‘I’m going to go down there and check out this rally and a switch flipped,’ ” says Derek Weimer, 45, who says he taught Fields during the 20-year-old suspect’s junior and senior years at Randall K. Cooper High School in Union,...
- 8/14/2017
- by Diane Herbst
- PEOPLE.com
Joseph Baxter Aug 15, 2017
Game Of Thrones star Peter Dinklage tackles a technological murder mystery in the Rememory trailer.
Peter Dinklage’s starring role in the thriller Rememory is now being showcased in a trailer for its upcoming wide release, after having debuted at the Sundance Film Festival back in January.
Video of Rememory (2017 Movie) - Official Trailer - Peter Dinklage, Anton Yelchin
The Rememory trailer features Peter Dinklage as Sam Bloom, a man who comes into the investigative service of widow Carolyn, played by Julia Ormond (Mad Men, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button) to look into the murder of her husband Gordon Dunn, played Martin Donovan (Legends Of Tomorrow, Ant-Man), who was the inventor of the plot-centric device that can extract, record and play memories.
Bloom’s investigation starts when he takes possession of the device in question, which, to use an appropriately Game of Thrones-themed metaphor, turns...
Game Of Thrones star Peter Dinklage tackles a technological murder mystery in the Rememory trailer.
Peter Dinklage’s starring role in the thriller Rememory is now being showcased in a trailer for its upcoming wide release, after having debuted at the Sundance Film Festival back in January.
Video of Rememory (2017 Movie) - Official Trailer - Peter Dinklage, Anton Yelchin
The Rememory trailer features Peter Dinklage as Sam Bloom, a man who comes into the investigative service of widow Carolyn, played by Julia Ormond (Mad Men, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button) to look into the murder of her husband Gordon Dunn, played Martin Donovan (Legends Of Tomorrow, Ant-Man), who was the inventor of the plot-centric device that can extract, record and play memories.
Bloom’s investigation starts when he takes possession of the device in question, which, to use an appropriately Game of Thrones-themed metaphor, turns...
- 8/14/2017
- Den of Geek
A woman was killed and at least 19 people were injured Saturday after a “Unite the Right” white nationalist rally drew attendees and counter-demonstrators into confrontation on the streets of Charlottesville, Virginia.
The woman, 32-year-old Heather Heyer, died after a car intentionally plowed through a crowd of counter-demonstrators as the rally broke up, authorities said.
That attack followed a Friday night march through the University of Virginia’s campus by hundreds of torch-bearing white supremacists who witnesses said chanted “white lives matter” and anti-Semitic slurs.
The deadly violence was the climax of a chaotic weekend that was initially stirred by a...
The woman, 32-year-old Heather Heyer, died after a car intentionally plowed through a crowd of counter-demonstrators as the rally broke up, authorities said.
That attack followed a Friday night march through the University of Virginia’s campus by hundreds of torch-bearing white supremacists who witnesses said chanted “white lives matter” and anti-Semitic slurs.
The deadly violence was the climax of a chaotic weekend that was initially stirred by a...
- 8/14/2017
- by Jeff Truesdell
- PEOPLE.com
If not for the heroic actions of her fiancé, a woman could have been seriously injured when a driver rammed his car into a group of protesters demonstrating against a downtown Charlottesville white nationalist rally Saturday afternoon.
Marissa Blair told The New York Times that her fiancé, Marcus Martin, pushed her out of the way of the oncoming vehicle. Although Blair walked away with just a scraped arm and a bruise on her leg, Martin attended the memorial service for 32-year-old fatal victim Heather Heyer in a wheelchair with a broken leg.
Blair, who was friends with Heyer and used to work with her,...
Marissa Blair told The New York Times that her fiancé, Marcus Martin, pushed her out of the way of the oncoming vehicle. Although Blair walked away with just a scraped arm and a bruise on her leg, Martin attended the memorial service for 32-year-old fatal victim Heather Heyer in a wheelchair with a broken leg.
Blair, who was friends with Heyer and used to work with her,...
- 8/14/2017
- by Stephanie Petit
- PEOPLE.com
The woman who was killed when a driver rammed his car into a group of protesters demonstrating against a downtown Charlottesville white nationalist rally Saturday afternoon has been identified.
Charlottesville Mayor Michael Signer identified the victim as 32-year-old Heather Heyer during an appearance on Meet The Press Sunday morning, according to NBC News.
A GoFundMe page set up to help her family has raised over $70,000, exceeding their goal of $50,000.
“She died doing what was right. My heart is broken, but I am forever proud of her,” her mother said, according to the donation page.
Two Virginia state troopers, Jay Cullen and Berke Bates,...
Charlottesville Mayor Michael Signer identified the victim as 32-year-old Heather Heyer during an appearance on Meet The Press Sunday morning, according to NBC News.
A GoFundMe page set up to help her family has raised over $70,000, exceeding their goal of $50,000.
“She died doing what was right. My heart is broken, but I am forever proud of her,” her mother said, according to the donation page.
Two Virginia state troopers, Jay Cullen and Berke Bates,...
- 8/13/2017
- by Stephanie Petit
- PEOPLE.com
Greatness comes in all shapes and sizes, but there is no doubt that it is coursing through the black-and-white wings of Penguin the magpie.
The bird became an international news and social media sensation after befriending an Australian family and helping them cope with a tragic accident. Not long before meeting Penguin, Sam Bloom suffered a fall that left her body paralyzed, her spirit broken and her family reeling. Shortly after the fall, one of Sam’s three sons found Penguin, who, as just a chick, had herself fallen out of her nest and was in desperate need of help to survive.
The bird became an international news and social media sensation after befriending an Australian family and helping them cope with a tragic accident. Not long before meeting Penguin, Sam Bloom suffered a fall that left her body paralyzed, her spirit broken and her family reeling. Shortly after the fall, one of Sam’s three sons found Penguin, who, as just a chick, had herself fallen out of her nest and was in desperate need of help to survive.
- 4/4/2017
- by Kelli Bender
- PEOPLE.com
Reese Witherspoon, Naomi Watts and Bruna Papandrea are teaming up for an adaptation of the best-selling Australian book Penguin Bloom.
The story follows Sam Bloom, a Sydney-based mother of three who, following an accident, becomes paralyzed from the chest down and receives help from an unlikely source — a magpie named Penguin that helps the family adjust to Sam's new condition.
New York Times best-selling author Bradley Trevor Greive wrote Penguin Bloom, which features photographs from Sam's husband, Cameron.
Watts is set to star in the feature, which also is being produced by Aussie-based producer Emma Cooper.
Penguin Bloom will film in Australia....
The story follows Sam Bloom, a Sydney-based mother of three who, following an accident, becomes paralyzed from the chest down and receives help from an unlikely source — a magpie named Penguin that helps the family adjust to Sam's new condition.
New York Times best-selling author Bradley Trevor Greive wrote Penguin Bloom, which features photographs from Sam's husband, Cameron.
Watts is set to star in the feature, which also is being produced by Aussie-based producer Emma Cooper.
Penguin Bloom will film in Australia....
- 12/8/2016
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
"The Walking Dead" is done with its first season, but fans of the comic book series can attest to the fact that there are stunning plot twists and excellent characters still on the way — not the least of whom is Michonne.
When she first appears in "The Walking Dead," Michonne is equipped with a samurai sword and two zombies shackled by chains. In other words, this is a woman who means business, proving herself capable of overcoming extreme adversity thanks to quick thinking and ruthless efficiency on the battlefield.
Because of Frank Darabont's affinity for the character, Michonne is a likely candidate to join "The Walking Dead" for season two. If she does indeed join the series, here are five actresses we would love to see in the part.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
The recently canceled "Undercovers" wasn't exactly the world's most popular television series, but breakout actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw proved...
When she first appears in "The Walking Dead," Michonne is equipped with a samurai sword and two zombies shackled by chains. In other words, this is a woman who means business, proving herself capable of overcoming extreme adversity thanks to quick thinking and ruthless efficiency on the battlefield.
Because of Frank Darabont's affinity for the character, Michonne is a likely candidate to join "The Walking Dead" for season two. If she does indeed join the series, here are five actresses we would love to see in the part.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
The recently canceled "Undercovers" wasn't exactly the world's most popular television series, but breakout actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw proved...
- 12/6/2010
- by Josh Wigler
- MTV Splash Page
Despite not having a spot in my schedule for NBC's Undercovers, I still wanted it to succeed. It was, after all, the brainchild of my hero J.J. Abrams, who created two of my favorite TV shows of all time (Lost and Fringe). However, Undercovers just didn't cut it, and became Abrams' first show to not even make it through a full first season. Considering the series had high expectations all around, it was a disappointment to Abrams fans everywhere, even those who had no intention of ever tuning in (like myself).
Undercovers isn't quite under yet, though. The series, which will air its final regularly scheduled episode next Wednesday, December 1, has produced thirteen episodes. December 1's episode will be the ninth, leaving four episodes in limbo. While some networks might leave those for the DVD set, NBC has decided to give you a Christmas present of the Blooms' final exploits this holiday season,...
Undercovers isn't quite under yet, though. The series, which will air its final regularly scheduled episode next Wednesday, December 1, has produced thirteen episodes. December 1's episode will be the ninth, leaving four episodes in limbo. While some networks might leave those for the DVD set, NBC has decided to give you a Christmas present of the Blooms' final exploits this holiday season,...
- 11/24/2010
- by Sam McPherson
- TVovermind.com
A new drama about sexy spies from J.J. Abrams, the creator of Alias? That would seem to have “Hit” written all over it. And so it went that NBC’s Undercovers arrived this fall as one of the season’s most promising new shows. But even with an energetic pilot helmed by Abrams himself, appealing and strikingly attractive actors in the lead roles, and an undemanding, easy-breezy approach to storytelling, the newfangled Hart to Hart failed to stir any true passion among TV viewers. It bowed to weak numbers (8.6 million), and only grew weaker as the weeks progressed (Wednesday’s...
- 11/5/2010
- by Jeff Jensen
- EW.com - PopWatch
Last night, Undercovers gave us Samantha's "cover" story on why she left the CIA five years prior, but like Steven's explanation last week, I hope that it's more to their stories than what was given.
Lima, Peru
As Peru's President Elect is about to officially be inaugurated as the country's president, a sniper prepares his weapon and is ready to do some damage.
That sniper happens to be Steven Bloom.
Three Days Earlier...
Los Angeles, California
As Steven playfully nags Samantha for getting too involved with the lives of their clients, Lizzy informs them of a potential client waiting in their office. The client, Jennifer Anthony, happens to know Sam personally from their days at Yale. Jennifer brings up a piece of Sam's past in journalism school about how a professor named Schilling thought Sam was a genius. The mention unnerves Sam, who reports that Professor Schilling died in a car accident.
Lima, Peru
As Peru's President Elect is about to officially be inaugurated as the country's president, a sniper prepares his weapon and is ready to do some damage.
That sniper happens to be Steven Bloom.
Three Days Earlier...
Los Angeles, California
As Steven playfully nags Samantha for getting too involved with the lives of their clients, Lizzy informs them of a potential client waiting in their office. The client, Jennifer Anthony, happens to know Sam personally from their days at Yale. Jennifer brings up a piece of Sam's past in journalism school about how a professor named Schilling thought Sam was a genius. The mention unnerves Sam, who reports that Professor Schilling died in a car accident.
- 11/4/2010
- by Mark O. Estes
- TVovermind.com
Alan Dale has signed up to appear in Undercovers. TV Guide reports that the former Neighbours star has landed a recurring role in the spy drama. He will play Shaw's boss James Kelvin, who is responsible for Steven and Samantha Bloom's return to the CIA. Kelvin is reportedly interested in moments from the Blooms' past. Dale's voice will be heard (more)...
- 11/3/2010
- by By Catriona Wightman
- Digital Spy
Alan Dale is going Undercovers.
The veteran television star - who has appeared on such shows as The Oc, Lost, Burn Notice and Entourage - will portray James Kelvin, the boss of Shaw and the individual responsible for bringing Steven and Samantha Bloom back into the spy game.
According to TV Guide, viewers of this NBC drama will learn the real reason the Blooms were re-recruited to the CIA - and these have a lot to do with details of the couple's past in which Kelvin is interested.
Dale will debut on the season's 11th episode.
The veteran television star - who has appeared on such shows as The Oc, Lost, Burn Notice and Entourage - will portray James Kelvin, the boss of Shaw and the individual responsible for bringing Steven and Samantha Bloom back into the spy game.
According to TV Guide, viewers of this NBC drama will learn the real reason the Blooms were re-recruited to the CIA - and these have a lot to do with details of the couple's past in which Kelvin is interested.
Dale will debut on the season's 11th episode.
- 11/1/2010
- by matt@iscribelimited.com (M.L. House)
- TVfanatic
Filed under: TV News
'Britain's Got Talent' phenomenon Susan Boyle will guest star on the holiday episode of 'Glee.'
Earlier this year Entertainment Weekly reported that 'Glee' creator Ryan Murphy wanted Boyle to appear as a lunch lady in the show's season 2 holiday episode. Looks like he's getting his wish: According to Vulture, SuBo is on board for the episode.
The Scottish singer's second album, "The Gift" hits stores Nov. 8. Nothing says "new album" like a 'Glee' cameo.
In other casting news ...
o. NBC's 'Undercovers' has added Alan Dale to its cast. The 'Lost' veteran has been tapped to play James Kelvin, the man who is responsible for bringing Steven and Samantha Bloom back to the CIA. Listen for Dale's voice in episode 8 and watch for the actor to appear in full during episode 11. [TV Guide]
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments...
'Britain's Got Talent' phenomenon Susan Boyle will guest star on the holiday episode of 'Glee.'
Earlier this year Entertainment Weekly reported that 'Glee' creator Ryan Murphy wanted Boyle to appear as a lunch lady in the show's season 2 holiday episode. Looks like he's getting his wish: According to Vulture, SuBo is on board for the episode.
The Scottish singer's second album, "The Gift" hits stores Nov. 8. Nothing says "new album" like a 'Glee' cameo.
In other casting news ...
o. NBC's 'Undercovers' has added Alan Dale to its cast. The 'Lost' veteran has been tapped to play James Kelvin, the man who is responsible for bringing Steven and Samantha Bloom back to the CIA. Listen for Dale's voice in episode 8 and watch for the actor to appear in full during episode 11. [TV Guide]
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments...
- 11/1/2010
- by Chris Harnick
- Aol TV.
We've loved watching 'Undercovers' star Gugu Mbatha-Raw versatile hair looks. Whether working as caterer Samantha Bloom in sunny California or carrying out a spying mission in bitterly cold North Korea, Mbatha-Raw's tresses always fit the occasion, and locale. We spoke with 'Undercovers' hair department head Louisa Anthony about Gugu's hairstyles and found out how she keeps the star's hair looking so gorgeous and healthy despite all the episodic changes...
- 10/27/2010
- Essence
I just want to believe that everything is still real.
The writers have a knack for giving Samantha Bloom a line within each episode that almost perfectly expresses what I'm thinking. After baiting me last week with a glimmer of hope that Undercovers was ready to burst forth from its doldrums, we're back to square one. Try as I may to find something positive to highlight about "Not WIthout My Daughter," I'm afraid it's just not possible.
The Blooms were tasked to bring in a North Korean scientist named Shin Won who wanted to defect to the U.S. and had a prototype of some super advanced weaponized matter manipulating device.
According to Shaw, it should have been a relative piece of cake. Unfortunately, it's never quite that simple, and - as has been more often than not the case with Undercovers - not that interesting, either.
I suppose it...
The writers have a knack for giving Samantha Bloom a line within each episode that almost perfectly expresses what I'm thinking. After baiting me last week with a glimmer of hope that Undercovers was ready to burst forth from its doldrums, we're back to square one. Try as I may to find something positive to highlight about "Not WIthout My Daughter," I'm afraid it's just not possible.
The Blooms were tasked to bring in a North Korean scientist named Shin Won who wanted to defect to the U.S. and had a prototype of some super advanced weaponized matter manipulating device.
According to Shaw, it should have been a relative piece of cake. Unfortunately, it's never quite that simple, and - as has been more often than not the case with Undercovers - not that interesting, either.
I suppose it...
- 10/21/2010
- by jwk1230@gmail.com (SooperpowerTV)
- TVfanatic
The globe-trotting adventures of married caterers/spies Steven and Samantha Bloom (Boris Kodjoe, Gugu Mbatha-Raw) on NBC's Wednesday-night espionage drama "Undercovers" may be largely done with green screen, but at least the actors get to travel around the greater Los Angeles area.
Not so with Gerald McRaney, who plays the Blooms' boss, CIA liaison Carlton Shaw.
"My guy basically does everything out of his hotel room," McRaney tells Zap2it over lunch at a West Los Angeles deli.
Asked if Shaw has a gun, McRaney says, "No, nothing. I've got a laptop. That's as much as they'll issue me."
Does he have a spy camera, a phone in his shoe or vanishing ink?
"Nothing," says McRaney. "I'm telling you, it's awful."
While Shaw doesn't run and gun, McRaney says, "I tell them how they're doing it wrong. I have shown a couple of people on the show how to properly use their sidearms.
Not so with Gerald McRaney, who plays the Blooms' boss, CIA liaison Carlton Shaw.
"My guy basically does everything out of his hotel room," McRaney tells Zap2it over lunch at a West Los Angeles deli.
Asked if Shaw has a gun, McRaney says, "No, nothing. I've got a laptop. That's as much as they'll issue me."
Does he have a spy camera, a phone in his shoe or vanishing ink?
"Nothing," says McRaney. "I'm telling you, it's awful."
While Shaw doesn't run and gun, McRaney says, "I tell them how they're doing it wrong. I have shown a couple of people on the show how to properly use their sidearms.
- 10/13/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
When Zap2it announced we would be speaking with "Undercovers" co-creator and executive producer, Josh Reims, we were flooded by reader questions.
Many of them were about the show (which experienced another fall in ratings this week). Others wanted to pick the mind of someone who deals with both story and the business of TV in general.
We grouped the 6 most asked reader questions and Reims was good enough to tackle them.
1.) Will there be more tension between the married leads, Steven [Boris Kodjoe] and Samantha Bloom [Gugu Mbatha-Raw]?When we set out to do the show [co-creator J.J. Abrams] and I had a lot of discussions about who they should be. At one point we thought 'are they divorced and working together, are they separated and working together? Are they having issues? Are they in therapy?' And we kept coming back to 'okay, we just want to see a married couple who can have their disagreements,...
Many of them were about the show (which experienced another fall in ratings this week). Others wanted to pick the mind of someone who deals with both story and the business of TV in general.
We grouped the 6 most asked reader questions and Reims was good enough to tackle them.
1.) Will there be more tension between the married leads, Steven [Boris Kodjoe] and Samantha Bloom [Gugu Mbatha-Raw]?When we set out to do the show [co-creator J.J. Abrams] and I had a lot of discussions about who they should be. At one point we thought 'are they divorced and working together, are they separated and working together? Are they having issues? Are they in therapy?' And we kept coming back to 'okay, we just want to see a married couple who can have their disagreements,...
- 10/7/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
This week’s Undercovers: Declassified will speak on the subtle nudges the audience got last night, which makes one think that while shooting the second episode of the spy drama, the writers were looking through a crystal ball into the future. What could I possibly mean? Well, just bear with me.
One of the running themes last night was basically the concept of a clean slate. In other words, the Blooms (and those around them) kept referring to last week’s adventure as being irrelevant, or “not counting”, in terms of their official partnership in the world of the spy game. It was as if the writers was telling everyone that they knew the pilot wasn’t a “wham-bam-thank-you-maam” extravaganza expected of J.J. Abrams and his ilk, but what really mattered was what they improved on, which was a lot in last night’s outing.
First and foremost, the...
One of the running themes last night was basically the concept of a clean slate. In other words, the Blooms (and those around them) kept referring to last week’s adventure as being irrelevant, or “not counting”, in terms of their official partnership in the world of the spy game. It was as if the writers was telling everyone that they knew the pilot wasn’t a “wham-bam-thank-you-maam” extravaganza expected of J.J. Abrams and his ilk, but what really mattered was what they improved on, which was a lot in last night’s outing.
First and foremost, the...
- 9/30/2010
- by Mark O. Estes
- TVovermind.com
Undercovers ramped its game up this week, building upon the mistakes from the pilot and giving us more mystery as to the backgrounds of our two leads, who clearly don’t know each other the way they think they do.
Pakistan
A trio of armed men escort a group of business men to a science lab in the middle of the desert. One of the men makes calls an unknown person about making someone do something for them. Once the men escort their employers to the lab, the lead man John opens fire on them, shocking one of his partners named Bruce. After Bruce demands to know why John didn’t fill him in on killing people, John says that he knew Bruce wouldn’t handle it. Clearly, there is something deeper than partners here. The third man, Hollis Krueger, leaves to cover the front, while Bruce and John (mostly...
Pakistan
A trio of armed men escort a group of business men to a science lab in the middle of the desert. One of the men makes calls an unknown person about making someone do something for them. Once the men escort their employers to the lab, the lead man John opens fire on them, shocking one of his partners named Bruce. After Bruce demands to know why John didn’t fill him in on killing people, John says that he knew Bruce wouldn’t handle it. Clearly, there is something deeper than partners here. The third man, Hollis Krueger, leaves to cover the front, while Bruce and John (mostly...
- 9/30/2010
- by Mark O. Estes
- TVovermind.com
Undercovers…there’s a double entendre in that title which NBC’s new spy series is desperately missing, and hence where the problems begin.
To get the basic rundown of the show check out Tambay and/or Sergio’s post here and here. For now, what I’m passing along is my honest review of last night’s premiere episode and what direction I think the creators and network should take to keep the viewing public interested.
Finally, we have NBC stepping up to the plate after a long hiatus from their forward thinking days of The Cosby Show and A Different World; they now present us with a Jj. Abrams creation and a premise far different than the goofy and oftentimes trite affair of the black led sitcom entertainment they’ve brought in the past. I felt really excited to see what the results would be and after viewing the pilot,...
To get the basic rundown of the show check out Tambay and/or Sergio’s post here and here. For now, what I’m passing along is my honest review of last night’s premiere episode and what direction I think the creators and network should take to keep the viewing public interested.
Finally, we have NBC stepping up to the plate after a long hiatus from their forward thinking days of The Cosby Show and A Different World; they now present us with a Jj. Abrams creation and a premise far different than the goofy and oftentimes trite affair of the black led sitcom entertainment they’ve brought in the past. I felt really excited to see what the results would be and after viewing the pilot,...
- 9/23/2010
- by Noelani
- ShadowAndAct
Strip away the operatic twists and crazy mythology of Alias. Take away the big budget of Mission Impossible III. And what do you get? Why, Undercovers, of course! The spy thriller that J.J. Abrams probably wrote in his sleep!
Not that there’s necessarily anything wrong with that. After working on the “spies who try to balance their personal life with their jobs” genre for so long, Abrams knows what he’s doing. And here, the story of Steven and Samantha Bloom – married caterers and ex-cia agents who get a little spark in their lives by making it a double – works perfectly fine.
Abrams directed the pilot, from a script he co-wrote with Josh Reims, and all the hallmarks are there, from a cargo plane speeding through CGI clouds, to the off-kilter angles, to the lens flares every time new tech shows up*. Plus, you have spies doing their spy thing,...
Not that there’s necessarily anything wrong with that. After working on the “spies who try to balance their personal life with their jobs” genre for so long, Abrams knows what he’s doing. And here, the story of Steven and Samantha Bloom – married caterers and ex-cia agents who get a little spark in their lives by making it a double – works perfectly fine.
Abrams directed the pilot, from a script he co-wrote with Josh Reims, and all the hallmarks are there, from a cargo plane speeding through CGI clouds, to the off-kilter angles, to the lens flares every time new tech shows up*. Plus, you have spies doing their spy thing,...
- 9/23/2010
- UGO TV
Tonight’s the night! The world was finally introduced to Undercovers, the Blooms and their world of catering, jet setting and “sexpionage.” So did J.J. deliver?
Paris, France
A man awakes to men storming into his swank Parisan hotel room. As the guy hauls ass and runs across rooftops, he makes a call to someone, asking them to call off their men. The guy dumps a plastic Red Robot key chain in a smoke stack on the roof, before he is captured.
San Francisco, California
Meet Steven and Samantha Bloom (Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbathu-Raw). Their catering business is in the red, they have a huge wedding to cater for, and their marriage is less than fresh. Enter Carlton Shaw (Gerald McRaney), who has a proposition for them.
Turns out that the Blooms are actually retired spies for the CIA, who have been out of the spy game for five years.
Paris, France
A man awakes to men storming into his swank Parisan hotel room. As the guy hauls ass and runs across rooftops, he makes a call to someone, asking them to call off their men. The guy dumps a plastic Red Robot key chain in a smoke stack on the roof, before he is captured.
San Francisco, California
Meet Steven and Samantha Bloom (Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbathu-Raw). Their catering business is in the red, they have a huge wedding to cater for, and their marriage is less than fresh. Enter Carlton Shaw (Gerald McRaney), who has a proposition for them.
Turns out that the Blooms are actually retired spies for the CIA, who have been out of the spy game for five years.
- 9/23/2010
- by Mark O. Estes
- TVovermind.com
Filed under: TV Replay
J.J. Abrams returns to television with a new series, and what it lacks in smoke monsters and donkey wheels, it makes up for in explosions and kicking butt. 'Undercovers' (Wed., 8Pm on NBC) stars Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Leo and Samantha Bloom, two former CIA agents pulled back into the job when Sam's former partner goes missing. And they aren't pulling any punches.
When shooting at a suspect in a high-speed car chase, if they refuse to stop, never be afraid to resort to a rocket launcher. This is why they were invented; for use on the freeway, as Samantha proved to great effect tonight.
[Note: Spoiler Alert]
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments...
J.J. Abrams returns to television with a new series, and what it lacks in smoke monsters and donkey wheels, it makes up for in explosions and kicking butt. 'Undercovers' (Wed., 8Pm on NBC) stars Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Leo and Samantha Bloom, two former CIA agents pulled back into the job when Sam's former partner goes missing. And they aren't pulling any punches.
When shooting at a suspect in a high-speed car chase, if they refuse to stop, never be afraid to resort to a rocket launcher. This is why they were invented; for use on the freeway, as Samantha proved to great effect tonight.
[Note: Spoiler Alert]
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments...
- 9/23/2010
- by Jason Hughes
- Aol TV.
To borrow an episode title from J.J. Abrams' first hit, Alias: "So It Begins."
There was a lot to enjoy about the pilot episode of Undercovers. Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw make one insanely gorgeous couple of spies, and their chemistry together is stratospheric.
At first, I thought the intermingling of the married life and the spy life would grow tiresome, but I think the key to the ongoing success is in what Samantha Bloom pointed out: the two have no real knowledge of the other's life as a spy. They kept all that information classified.
It was one of the more amusing moments when, just before jumping out of a plane, Samantha revealed to Stephen that prior to him, she had an eighth-month long relationship with the agent they are going to find, Leo Nash.
And when the incessantly sycophantic Bill Hoyt references some of Stephen's more epic missions,...
There was a lot to enjoy about the pilot episode of Undercovers. Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw make one insanely gorgeous couple of spies, and their chemistry together is stratospheric.
At first, I thought the intermingling of the married life and the spy life would grow tiresome, but I think the key to the ongoing success is in what Samantha Bloom pointed out: the two have no real knowledge of the other's life as a spy. They kept all that information classified.
It was one of the more amusing moments when, just before jumping out of a plane, Samantha revealed to Stephen that prior to him, she had an eighth-month long relationship with the agent they are going to find, Leo Nash.
And when the incessantly sycophantic Bill Hoyt references some of Stephen's more epic missions,...
- 9/23/2010
- by jwk1230@gmail.com (SooperpowerTV)
- TVfanatic
Agent Leo Shaw is woken by a loud banging at his hotel room door. He snatches up a small red robot toy and runs to the balcony. As two armed men break down his door, he leaps from his balcony to one below. He exits the hotel via the fire escape, leaving a phone message begging whoever is on the other line to call their men off. The armed men pursue Leo across roof-tops. He hides and transfers files from his laptop onto the red robot toy - actually a flash drive. He hides the flash drive on the roof and carves a small mark nearby. The armed men catch up to Leo and order him to surrender. In a busy kitchen, Samantha Bloom prepares the catering for a wedding reception that night. Steven Bloom tells her that he has worked out their budget and they are struggling financially. Both...
- 9/23/2010
- by By Morgan Jeffery
- Digital Spy
J.J. Abrams’ latest TV venture, and his second spy series, “Undercovers” takes off the covers tonight with its premiere episode on NBC. The show stars Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw (try saying that name three times real fast) as Steven and Samantha Bloom, former CIA agents who are now married and make their living as caterers. Alas, things aren’t going quite as well for the couple; in fact, it’s so bad, they don’t even have time for sex. The couple gets a reprieve from their boring civilian life when grouchy CIA guy Carlton Shaw (Gerald McRaney) asks for their help in tracking down a rogue CIA agent name Leo Nash (Carter MacIntyre), who has a history with both former spooks (albeit in different ways — Samantha used to date him). They agree, and fly around the world fighting bad guys and eventually rediscover their spark. It’s all...
- 9/22/2010
- by Nix
- Beyond Hollywood
Chicago – The timing of “Undercovers” might be inopportune — the notion of CIA super spies adding to the deficit by overextending their expense accounts — yet the show itself is bright and exciting with beautiful actors and settings. But despite the presence of J.J. Abrams of “Lost,” it doesn’t break any new ground.
Television Rating: 3.5/5.0
The amazingly named actors Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw are introduced as gorgeous husband-and-wife CIA spooks named Steven and Samantha Bloom, if those are their real names. Presented as happy upper middle-class caterers, it becomes apparent that there is more to them than meets the eye candy. “Undercovers” premieres on NBC on Wednesday, September 22nd, at 7pm Cst.
Meet the Blooms: Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Samantha and
Boris Kodjoe as Steven in ‘Undercovers’
Photo credit: NBC
The premiere of the action show opens with a desperate chase. Leo Nash (Carter MacIntyre) is running from bizarrely masked marauders at a Paris Hotel.
Television Rating: 3.5/5.0
The amazingly named actors Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw are introduced as gorgeous husband-and-wife CIA spooks named Steven and Samantha Bloom, if those are their real names. Presented as happy upper middle-class caterers, it becomes apparent that there is more to them than meets the eye candy. “Undercovers” premieres on NBC on Wednesday, September 22nd, at 7pm Cst.
Meet the Blooms: Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Samantha and
Boris Kodjoe as Steven in ‘Undercovers’
Photo credit: NBC
The premiere of the action show opens with a desperate chase. Leo Nash (Carter MacIntyre) is running from bizarrely masked marauders at a Paris Hotel.
- 9/22/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
When was the last time you could say you just had plain old fashioned fun watching a TV show? That.s the overwhelming emotion I had watching NBC.s new action-comedy, "Undercovers," which was created by J.J. Abrams, who also directed the pilot. This buoyant and energetic introduction reminds us what Abrams does best . launching distinctive and out of the ordinary TV series. Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw play Steven and Samantha Bloom, two former CIA spies, who met on the job, but decided to give up their lives of danger to focus on their relationship and to open (of all things) a catering business. Nothing like swinging from one pendulum to the other! Gerald McRaney plays...
- 9/22/2010
- by Tracey Brown
- Monsters and Critics
We're one day away from the premiere of NBC's "Undercovers" on Wednesday, Sept. 22 at 8 p.m. Et and we still have a couple more people we'd like you to meet.
Next up, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who plays Samantha, one-half of the Blooms, the spy couple who you'll come to care about very much. "Dr. Who" fans already know Mbatha-Raw from when she played recurring character, Tisha Jones. Now as one of the leads of the new NBC show, Mbatha-Raw tells Zap2it that despite all the hype around the new J.J. Abrams show, she's not nervous.
"I'm really excited actually," she says. "I kind of generally speaking try to change nervous energy into adrenaline and excitement in any situation, so I'm really looking forward to it."
This is the British actress' first foray into American TV and she's not taking it for granted. "A year ago, I had never been to America,...
Next up, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who plays Samantha, one-half of the Blooms, the spy couple who you'll come to care about very much. "Dr. Who" fans already know Mbatha-Raw from when she played recurring character, Tisha Jones. Now as one of the leads of the new NBC show, Mbatha-Raw tells Zap2it that despite all the hype around the new J.J. Abrams show, she's not nervous.
"I'm really excited actually," she says. "I kind of generally speaking try to change nervous energy into adrenaline and excitement in any situation, so I'm really looking forward to it."
This is the British actress' first foray into American TV and she's not taking it for granted. "A year ago, I had never been to America,...
- 9/22/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
In "Undercovers," Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw play Steven and Samantha Bloom, former C.I.A. agents who fall in love on the job and try to leave the spy life behind them. While most of us don't know what it's like to fly around the world hunting down bad guys, their workplace romance made us think of a few gigs that have a high rate of office love. Here's what you had to say: Jocilyn commented via Facebook: "The men at my job never looked that good!" Yashica wrote via Facebook: "Not a good idea. Been there done that!"...
- 9/21/2010
- Essence
NBC's "Undercovers" unleashes plenty of clips for viewers to get a first taste of. They recount the scenes from when ex-spies Steven and Samantha Bloom were informed that their colleague had gone missing in action, to them agreeing to get back to their old job, to the launch of the mission itself.
The Blooms are a typical married couple who owns and operates a small catering company in Los Angeles with help from Samantha's easily frazzled, handful of a sister, Lizzy. Secretly, the duo were two of the best spies the CIA had ever known, until they fell in love on the job five years ago and retired.
When fellow spy and good friend Leo Nash goes missing while on the trail of a Russian arms dealer, the Blooms are reinstated by boss and agency liaison, Carlton Shaw, to locate and rescue Nash. With assistance from resourceful CIA field agent Bill Hoyt,...
The Blooms are a typical married couple who owns and operates a small catering company in Los Angeles with help from Samantha's easily frazzled, handful of a sister, Lizzy. Secretly, the duo were two of the best spies the CIA had ever known, until they fell in love on the job five years ago and retired.
When fellow spy and good friend Leo Nash goes missing while on the trail of a Russian arms dealer, the Blooms are reinstated by boss and agency liaison, Carlton Shaw, to locate and rescue Nash. With assistance from resourceful CIA field agent Bill Hoyt,...
- 9/18/2010
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
After our visit to the "Undercovers" set visit, we introduced you to Mekia Cox. She plays Lizzy Gilliam, Samantha Bloom's (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) sister and her right hand gal in the kitchen of Bloom Catering - Samantha and Steven's (Boris Kodjoe) real business aside from their spy activities.
Of course, Cox plays a caterer on the show and she's not actually trained in the culinary arts.
"I may not be the greatest at [cooking], but I'm learning," Cox tells Zap2it. "But, it's okay, because Lizzie isn't the greatest chef either, but she's learning. So, we're learning together."
That's where the show's food stylists come in. Nancy Goodman Iland and Lisa Robinson make the cast look like caterers. They prepare and arrange the food on-set and help the actors with the skills that make them look like culinary experts. The production also calls on them to be extras in the kitchen...
Of course, Cox plays a caterer on the show and she's not actually trained in the culinary arts.
"I may not be the greatest at [cooking], but I'm learning," Cox tells Zap2it. "But, it's okay, because Lizzie isn't the greatest chef either, but she's learning. So, we're learning together."
That's where the show's food stylists come in. Nancy Goodman Iland and Lisa Robinson make the cast look like caterers. They prepare and arrange the food on-set and help the actors with the skills that make them look like culinary experts. The production also calls on them to be extras in the kitchen...
- 9/17/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Essence October cover star Boris Kodjoe and British actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw star in this season's most anticipated spy drama "Undercovers," about a domesticated couple living a double life -- caterers by day and secret agents by night. Playing former CIA agents Steven and Samantha Bloom -- who decide to get back into the espionage game -- soon learn that being spies is the sexiest way to put some spice back into their lackluster marriage. We've got an exclusive behind-the-scenes sneak peek at what Mr. and Mrs. Bloom will be serving us on Wednesday nights at 8pm Et on NBC.
- 9/15/2010
- Essence
As a part of Undercovers Wednesdays, I will be giving you my review of the pilot episode of Undercovers, the J.J. Abrams new spy show starring Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Steven and Samantha Bloom, married ex-cia agents who are drawn back into the spy game after a five year absence. The show garnered a lot of buzz during production due to Abrams’s name being attached to it and the fact that its two lead characters happened to be African-American, which co-creator Josh Reims suspected would be a big thing. “We all wish it wasn’t such a big deal at this point … but unfortunately that’s the way it is right now,” Reims told The Hollywood Reporter in July. It is good to note that Gugu Mbatha-Raw is actually British, while Boris Kodjoe is African American.
Undercovers has been compared to shows like Abrams’ first spy drama,...
Undercovers has been compared to shows like Abrams’ first spy drama,...
- 9/8/2010
- by Mark O. Estes
- TVovermind.com
Mekia Cox has admitted that she did not feel nervous when joining the cast of new NBC spy drama Undercovers. It was previously announced that the actress had replaced Jessica Parker Kennedy in the role of Lizzy Gilliam, the sister of Samantha Bloom (Gugu Mbatha-Raw). Cox told Zap2It: "I came in and everyone was so super nice. Immediately, it felt like family. [Creator J.J. Abrams] is just such a down to earth person that all those nerves just went away." She also praised (more)...
- 9/6/2010
- by By Morgan Jeffery
- Digital Spy
We're not being very covert about our excitement about NBC's "Undercovers." We've named the spy drama one of our top to watch for fall. So, we were really excited when we had the chance to visit the set recently. While we'll be rolling out most of our video interviews in the week leading up to the show's premiere on Wednesday, Sept. 22, we did think you'd want to meet the newest addition to the cast, Mekia Cox, right away.
She plays Samantha Bloom's (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) sister, Lizzy Gilliam. She replaced Jessica Parker Kennedy, who played the part in the pilot. Cox says the transition wasn't too bad.
"I came in and everyone was so super nice," she tells Zap2it. "Immediately, it felt like family. [Parker Kennedy] was a great girl, as well. They loved her too, but they still welcomed me with open arms, which I was very thankful for."
Viewers...
She plays Samantha Bloom's (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) sister, Lizzy Gilliam. She replaced Jessica Parker Kennedy, who played the part in the pilot. Cox says the transition wasn't too bad.
"I came in and everyone was so super nice," she tells Zap2it. "Immediately, it felt like family. [Parker Kennedy] was a great girl, as well. They loved her too, but they still welcomed me with open arms, which I was very thankful for."
Viewers...
- 9/4/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Want to live like the Blooms for a night? Well, NBC has you covered. That is if you can win.
NBC and Fan It have set up a contest in honor of NBC’s new fall show, Undercovers, starring Boris Kodjoe (Soul Food, “Resident Evil: Afterlife”) and Gugu Mbathu-Raw (Doctor Who, Bonekickers) and co-created by J.J. Abrams (Lost, Felicity, Alias). The drama covers the life of Steve and Samantha Bloom, a married couple who own a successful catering business, but are finding that the dishes they cook have more spice than their own marriage does. When the Blooms least expect it, they are called back into their old line of work, which happens to be government spies for the CIA. Will a little bit of “sexpionage” be the ingredient to rekindle the Blooms’ romance? And will they be able to save the world and have that bar mitzvah catered at the same time?...
NBC and Fan It have set up a contest in honor of NBC’s new fall show, Undercovers, starring Boris Kodjoe (Soul Food, “Resident Evil: Afterlife”) and Gugu Mbathu-Raw (Doctor Who, Bonekickers) and co-created by J.J. Abrams (Lost, Felicity, Alias). The drama covers the life of Steve and Samantha Bloom, a married couple who own a successful catering business, but are finding that the dishes they cook have more spice than their own marriage does. When the Blooms least expect it, they are called back into their old line of work, which happens to be government spies for the CIA. Will a little bit of “sexpionage” be the ingredient to rekindle the Blooms’ romance? And will they be able to save the world and have that bar mitzvah catered at the same time?...
- 9/1/2010
- by Mark O. Estes
- TVovermind.com
Starting tonight, Wednesdays belong to Undercovers here at TVOvermind. Be sure to check back here every week for more “sexpionage” from food caterers/CIA-spies Steven and Samantha Bloom (Boris Kodjoe and Gugu-Mbatha Raw, respectively) as they jet set across the world fighting international villains and terrorists, all while making sure that birthday cake makes its way to your party on time. Talk about a way to reignite the flame of your marriage…
Co-created by J.J. Abrams (Fringe, Alias, Lost, Felicity) and Josh Reims (What About Brian, Brothers and Sisters), Undercovers will premiere on NBC on September 22nd @8/7c and the promotional train has taken off to make sure the word gets out about the new spy drama, which has been likened to Abrams’ previous spy hit, Alias. Below is a new trailer courtesy of E! that will air during the Emmys this Sunday. Women, get ready to swoon. Men, get ready to drool profusely…...
Co-created by J.J. Abrams (Fringe, Alias, Lost, Felicity) and Josh Reims (What About Brian, Brothers and Sisters), Undercovers will premiere on NBC on September 22nd @8/7c and the promotional train has taken off to make sure the word gets out about the new spy drama, which has been likened to Abrams’ previous spy hit, Alias. Below is a new trailer courtesy of E! that will air during the Emmys this Sunday. Women, get ready to swoon. Men, get ready to drool profusely…...
- 8/26/2010
- by Mark O. Estes
- TVovermind.com
NBC's "Undercovers" is one of Zap2it's shows to watch this fall. Never mind that we love ourselves some J.J. Abrams, who created our other favorites "Alias," "Fringe," and "Lost." "Undercovers" brings us the eye candy of stars Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw!
In "Undercovers," former spies, Steven and Samantha Bloom (played by "Soul Food's" Kodjoe and "Doctor Who's" Mbatha-Raw), meet, fall in love, and leave the CIA to lead normal lives as caterers. After five years, the CIA represented by the awesome Gerald McRaney ("Deadwood," "Jericho," um, "Major Dad") approaches them with a special mission. And then the fun begins.
E!Online posted the sexy promo above, which is set to air during Sunday's (August 28) Emmys.
Are you looking forward to "Undercovers," too?
Follow Zap2it and TheRealJethro on Twitter and Zap2it on Facebook for the latest TV, movie and celebrity news.
Video credit: NBC...
In "Undercovers," former spies, Steven and Samantha Bloom (played by "Soul Food's" Kodjoe and "Doctor Who's" Mbatha-Raw), meet, fall in love, and leave the CIA to lead normal lives as caterers. After five years, the CIA represented by the awesome Gerald McRaney ("Deadwood," "Jericho," um, "Major Dad") approaches them with a special mission. And then the fun begins.
E!Online posted the sexy promo above, which is set to air during Sunday's (August 28) Emmys.
Are you looking forward to "Undercovers," too?
Follow Zap2it and TheRealJethro on Twitter and Zap2it on Facebook for the latest TV, movie and celebrity news.
Video credit: NBC...
- 8/25/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Filed under: TV News, Fall TV
At first glance, J.J. Abrams' new NBC show 'Undercovers' sounds somewhat like 'Alias' -- if Sydney Bristow and Michael Vaughn had gotten married.
But executive producer Josh Reims told TV critics Friday that 'Undercovers' won't be 'Alias: Five Years Later.'
"Don't tell J.J., but I never really watched 'Alias,'" Reims said. "Neither one of us wanted to do 'Alias' -- he'd already done it ... and I thought it was one of the most confusing shows ever."
So, don't expect any Rambaldi-esque mythology in 'Undercovers,' but there will be more glamor and globe-trotting -- and sexy, witty banter between leads Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who play married spies Steven and Samantha Bloom.
Reims, Kodjoe and Mbatha-Raw were joined by producer Carther MacIntyre and cast members Gerald McRaney, Ben Schwartz and Mekia Cox.
At first glance, J.J. Abrams' new NBC show 'Undercovers' sounds somewhat like 'Alias' -- if Sydney Bristow and Michael Vaughn had gotten married.
But executive producer Josh Reims told TV critics Friday that 'Undercovers' won't be 'Alias: Five Years Later.'
"Don't tell J.J., but I never really watched 'Alias,'" Reims said. "Neither one of us wanted to do 'Alias' -- he'd already done it ... and I thought it was one of the most confusing shows ever."
So, don't expect any Rambaldi-esque mythology in 'Undercovers,' but there will be more glamor and globe-trotting -- and sexy, witty banter between leads Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who play married spies Steven and Samantha Bloom.
Reims, Kodjoe and Mbatha-Raw were joined by producer Carther MacIntyre and cast members Gerald McRaney, Ben Schwartz and Mekia Cox.
- 7/30/2010
- by Kelly Woo
- Aol TV.
With very little to go on at Upfronts, we believed "Undercovers" could be NBC's saving grace. It definitely has everything one would expect of a hit. The man behind "Alias" and "Lost," J.J. Abrams, co-wrote, produced, and directed the pilot. The leads are definite eye candy. And the spy tableau is a big success for the network with "Chuck." Can "Undercovers" live up to the hype?
Disclaimer: These posts are not reviews -- shows often make tweaks to their pilot episodes between filming in the spring and their fall debuts. Full reviews will come closer to the premiere date.
What it is: Former spies, Steven and Samantha Bloom (played by "Soul Food's" Boris Kodjoe and "Doctor Who's" Gugu Mbatha-Raw), meet, fall in love, and leave the CIA to lead normal lives as caterers. After five years, the CIA represented by the awesome Gerald McRaney ("Deadwood," "Jericho," um, "Major Dad...
Disclaimer: These posts are not reviews -- shows often make tweaks to their pilot episodes between filming in the spring and their fall debuts. Full reviews will come closer to the premiere date.
What it is: Former spies, Steven and Samantha Bloom (played by "Soul Food's" Boris Kodjoe and "Doctor Who's" Gugu Mbatha-Raw), meet, fall in love, and leave the CIA to lead normal lives as caterers. After five years, the CIA represented by the awesome Gerald McRaney ("Deadwood," "Jericho," um, "Major Dad...
- 7/21/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
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