Reading Rainbow - Sacramento Bee: LeVar Burton celebrates success

Source: Sacramento Bee [follow link for complete article]



SACRAMENTO BEE: LeVar Burton celebrates success of 'Reading Rainbow' 2.0

By Kristopher Rivera
Jun. 24, 2013

The Public Broadcasting Service may have pulled the plug on "Reading Rainbow" in 2009, but host and former Sacramento resident LeVar Burton wasn't about to quit encouraging kids to pick up books.

Instead, he began adapting the classic children's TV show to the digital age.

"We started immediately thinking, 'What would "Reading Rainbow" today be? What would "Reading Rainbow 2.0" be?' " said Burton, 56. "And that was the beginning of what became the 'Reading Rainbow' app. That's what got it all started."

"Reading Rainbow," which debuted in 1983, celebrates its 30th anniversary this month. And according to Burton, the future of "Rainbow" has never been brighter.

Co-founding RRKidz with veteran entertainment producer Mark Wolfe, Burton and his company secured the "Reading Rainbow" rights in 2011. RRKidz released the "Reading Rainbow" app for Apple last year. The app debuted on the Kindle Fire three weeks ago.

The app is No. 1 in the educational category on Kindle and remains in the top five on iTunes. It can be purchased for $10 a month or $29.99 for six months...



... Education plays a large role for Burton and his family. His mother, older sister, son and two nieces all work in education.

"It's like a family business," said Burton, known for his acting roles on the TV miniseries "Roots" as well as the series "Star Trek: The Next Generation."

Burton's mother worked as a high school English teacher in Missouri. She later moved from the Midwest with her three children to Sacramento and started a second career with the Sacramento County welfare department.

Burton attended several Catholic schools in the Sacramento area.

"One reason my mother had her eye on Sacramento as a place where she wanted to raise her children was because of the quality educational system in Sacramento at that time," Burton said.

As a child, Burton was an active reader. The bookmobile coming through his neighborhood was a big deal, Burton said.

Now he offers a similar, updated experience. The books aren't arriving on four wheels – they're reaching kids via tablet computers.

"I'm working harder than I've ever worked, and having more fun than I ever have," Burton said.

"I really love what we're doing. I'm really proud of what we're doing. Our mission is quite simple: We're looking to change the world one children's book at a time."

Star Trek - Watch Mojo Video: Top 10 Alien Races from Television

Source: Watch Mojo [follow link for video transcript]



STAR TREK - WATCH MOJO VIDEO: TOP 10 ALIEN RACES FROM TELEVISION

June 21, 2013

These alien creatures from another world have taken on countless forms on the television screen. They have ranged from looking similar to us, to being cute, disgusting and downright terrifying. Join WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the top 10 most memorable alien races in television. To keep things moving along at warp speed, we’ll be omitting animated series and in a few instances be allowing one alien to represent its entire species, even though some may call this profiling.

Top 10 Alien Races include:

10. Babylon 5 - The Narn
09. ALF - Melmacians
08. Doctor Who - Weeping Angels
07. Battlestar Galactica - Cylons
06. Stargate SG-1 - Goa'uld
05. Stargate SG-1 - Asgard
04. Star Trek - Vulcans
03. Star Trek: The Next Generation & Star Trek: Voyager - The Borg
02. Doctor Who: Daleks
01. Star Trek - Klingons

Defiance - SciFi and TV Talk: Justin Rain Interview

Source: SciFi and TV Talk [follow link for complete interview]



SCIFI AND TV TALK: Lost & Found: Interview with Defiance's Justin Rain

by Steve Eramo
06/24/2013

As a child, it is your family as well as environment that have the most influence on the person you will eventually grow up to be. With Defiance’s Quentin McCawley, some aspects of his upbringing are not unlike those of many young men, while one or two elements are decidedly different. The son of Rafe McCawley, a wealthy and powerful mine owner, Quentin and his family live in Defiance, a settlement (once the city of St. Louis, Missouri) occupied by humans and aliens on Earth in the year 2046.

Compared to many in Defiance, Quentin enjoys a comfortable lifestyle, but it is not without its hardships, especially emotional as well as relationship issues involving his family. There is also his mother’s supposed “death,” along with the recent discovery of a mysterious Artifact that has placed added responsibility and worry onto Quentin’s shoulders. Helping him carry this burden is actor Justin Rain, who delivers a very grounded and believable performance as Quentin.

“I think a lot of people can identify with the McCawley family in terms of it’s not the perfect family,” says Rain. “There’s the absence of a parent and also the death of Quentin’s brother Luke [Wesley French], who he really looked up to. At the same time, Quentin is also strangely trying to step out of Luke’s shadow because of the amount of praise that his father put on that son. Quentin is trying to prove himself to his father as far as him being worthy enough to hold the McCawley name along with his father’s incredible reputation in Defiance.

“Because I never had a father in my house growing up, I can relate personally to a great deal of what Quentin has experienced and what he is still going through. As an actor, I’m enjoying the challenge of trying to show his vulnerability and being as honest as possible in my performance. There has been some major growth with Quentin in the recent episodes of Defiance when it comes to his relationship with his father and involving his dead brother as well as the Artifact..."



(McCawley family: Graham Green, Nicole Munoz and Justin Rain]

Defiance cast includes Tony Curran, Jaime Murray, Julie Benz, Mia Kirshner, Grant Bowler, Stephanie Leonidas, Graham Greene, Dewshane Williams, Jesse Rath, Justin Rain and Nicole Muñoz.



NEW Defiance episodes air Monday at 9/8C on Syfy. CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE EPISODE TRAILER FOR 'THE BRIDE WORE BLACK,' AIRING JUNE 24, 2013.

Almost Human - Collider: Michael Ealy Interview

Source: Collider [follow link for complete interview]



COLLIDER: Pilot Preview: Michael Ealy Talks ALMOST HUMAN, Working with FRINGE Showrunner J.H. Wyman, Comic-Con, and More

by Christina Radish
June 24, 2013


Before every fall season starts, I watch all the pilots for all the networks, to see what stands out and to determine what I’ll cover. One of the best and most promising pilots that I watched was for the upcoming Fox series Almost Human, from creator J.H. Wyman (Fringe) and executive producer J.J. Abrams. It’s a high-tech, high-stakes action drama set 35 years in the future, when police officers are partnered with highly evolved human-like androids. An unlikely and intriguing partnership is forged when part-machine cop, John Kennex (Karl Urban), is forced to pair with the part-human android, Dorian (Michael Ealy), to investigate what is clearly a deep cover-up.

Collider, along with a couple other outlets, recently had the opportunity to chat with show star Michael Ealy, about this exciting new role. During the interview, he talked about what drew him to the show, where he’s taking his inspiration from for his performance, having to audition and test for the show, how he wasn’t going to return to television for awhile after the cancellation of his last series, Common Law, but the pilot script was that good, what it’s like to work with someone as passionate as Joel Wyman, what viewers will be drawn to with the show, and how excited he is to see what people think of it at this year’s Comic-Con...



(Almost Human cast includes Michael Irby, Mackenzie Crook (Game of Thrones), Lili Taylor, Karl Urban, Michael Ealy and Minka Kelly.)

... Collider: What’s it like working with Joel Wyman?

Michael Ealy: "Joel gives a lot. I’ve learned that about Joel. He’s not afraid. You can call Joel at two in the morning, and he’s up. And he’ll tell you whatever you want to know. He is very, very forthright. Oftentimes, a conversation with Joel will last an hour, easy. Our first meeting, was like three and a half hours. I had my wife in the car. I thought it was gonna be 20 minutes. And it was on Valentine’s Day, man! I’m not joking. The meeting was on Valentine’s Day, and I had my wife in the car. Literally two and a half hours in, I was like, “Okay, but is he more like a Mac or a PC?” It felt like we were rehearsing, at that first meeting, because we just got to a point where we started collaborating on this guy.

When I walked out of there, I remember I got back in the car and the first thing I did was apologize, profusely, and then I was like, “I think I’m gonna get this. And I think I’m gonna love it! Wow! If I can work with this guy, he cares about it. He pays attention.” I told him that my cousin was a big Fringe fan and he said, “Oh, dude, I’ll send you some swag. I’ve got plenty of it.” I was like, “Seriously?!,” and he said, “Yeah, no worries.” So, I’m looking forward to this and what we’re gonna do. I really hope you guys like it. I saw the trailer at the Fox Up-Fronts and I remember I was like, “Yeah, this looks good.” I was nervous, but finally I saw [the pilot] and was like, “Whoa!”

We have such a good cast. It was interesting when they cast Lili Taylor. They went in a totally different direction. You think of that character, Captain Maldonado, and you’re thinking about a tough broad, like Angie Harmon. They went with Lili Taylor, and Lili’s amazing. The first thing I said to Joel was, “Listen, Maldonado is dirty, isn’t she?” And he was like, “No, no, no!” We still don’t know who’s who. This thing is just gonna get bigger and bigger. I’m excited..."

Almost Human FOX

Almost Human Facebook

Almost Human premieres late Fall 2013 on FOX.

[Kelly - Is it just me, or does this series not resemble the '99 series, Total Recall 2070?]

NCIS - TV Guide: Ask Matt: June 24 '13

Source: TV Guide [follow link for complete column]



TV GUIDE: Ask Matt: Dramedies, Arrested, Nurse Jackie, H50, Hannibal

Jun 24, 2013
by Matt Roush


Send questions and comments to askmatt@tvguidemagazine.com and follow on Twitter!


... Question: I'm a big fan of NCIS, but am disappointed about the lack of McGee and Abby scenes the last two years. It almost seems like they stopped developing them as a potential couple and friend-zoned them. Does the same fear exist that romance would overpower the show if they got together for them that does for Tony and Ziva, because I always saw McGee and Abby as a lot simpler, and it doesn't require a slow burn to make them happen. — Robert


Matt Roush: Just my own theory here, but pairing up all four members of Gibbs' team romantically might seem like overkill, and the Tony-Ziva dynamic (even if not exactly acted upon) is so integral to the show's core that I'm not surprised they've kept McGee and Abby on more of a loving-sibling level. I'm comfortable with that and I wouldn't expect it to change.


NCIS season 11 premieres Tuesday, September 24, 2013 at 8/7C on CBS.

King & Maxwell - TV Guide: Ask Matt: Jun 24 '13

Source: TV Guide [follow link for complete column]



TV GUIDE: Ask Matt: Dramedies, Arrested, Nurse Jackie, H50, Hannibal

Jun 24, 2013
by Matt Roush


Send questions and comments to askmatt@tvguidemagazine.com and follow on Twitter!


... Question: I was wondering what you think of TNT's new show King & Maxwell. As a fan of the novels, I was really excited to hear about this. I wasn't too impressed with the pilot. I just don't think it was a good idea to jam an entire novel into one episode. It should have been spread out. However, I enjoyed the second episode a lot better. Both the story and the characters were more fleshed out. After being disappointed in the pilot, it was great to see an improvement. It seems like a good companion to shows like Major Crimes and Rizzoli & Isles. — Mary


Matt Roush: Possibly too good a companion. From the title (with its nearly ubiquitous-on-TNT ampersand) to the casting to the plotting, it all comes off as way too generic for me. Like you, I did enjoy the second episode considerably more than the first, in part because I'm getting a kick out of Ryan Hurst's 360-degree turnabout, from doomed Sons of Anarchy biker to this show's humorous office Rain Man savant. And I understand this week's episode will reveal a bit more of Jon Tenney's back story about why he left the Secret Service under such a cloud. But appointment TV it isn't. (My top Monday summer-procedural pick right now is A&E's Wyoming-set mystery series Longmire.)

Hawaii Five-0 - TV Guide: Ask Matt: Jun 24 '13

Source: TV Guide [follow link for complete column]



TV GUIDE: Ask Matt: Dramedies, Arrested, Nurse Jackie, H50, Hannibal

Jun 24, 2013
by Matt Roush


Send questions and comments to askmatt@tvguidemagazine.com and follow on Twitter!


... Question: Just read that Hawaii 5-0 is moving to Fridays. Uh-oh, does that mean it is going down the tank? Was there too much competition on Monday with Castle and Revolution? What's the scoop? — Rhonda


Matt Roush: Well, Revolution is moving off Mondays as well this season (to Wednesdays at 8/7c, where it will likely fade away), so Hawaii isn't the only one in this leaky boat. The move isn't necessarily a death sentence for H50, more a reflection of CBS once again aggressively shaking up its schedule so it doesn't stagnate. Hostages, which takes over the 10/9c time period, is a more serialized "limited series" form of thriller, closer in tone and appeal to the cable series that dominate that time period most nights of the week, so I'm encouraged by this particular scheduling move — especially since it will be sharing the space with next winter's Intelligence, starring Josh Holloway. CBS is also one of the few networks still thriving on Fridays, so Hawaii could still have several more seasons in it on a night where less will be expected of it...


Hawaii Five-0 season four premieres Friday, September 27, 2013 at 9/8C on CBS.

Warehouse 13 - TV Guide: Monday Playlist Jun 24 '13 - Syfy 10/9C

Source: TV Guide [follow link for complete column]



TV GUIDE: The Monday Playlist: Under the Dome, Major Crimes, Warehouse's Head Case

Jun 24, 2013
by Matt Roush



... THE MONDAY GUIDE: Buffy's Anthony Head is the new Big Bad on Syfy's Warehouse 13 (10/9c), arriving as "Machiavellian alchemist" Paracelsus in a three-episode arc that will take the show to the end of its next-to-last run of episodes... [this season - there will be a limited six episode season five of Warehouse 13 - - Kelly]

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE EPISODE TRAILER FOR 'LOST AND FOUND'

Defiance - TV Guide: Monday Playlist Jun 24 '13 - Syfy 9/8C

Source: TV Guide [follow link for complete column]



TV GUIDE: The Monday Playlist: Under the Dome, Major Crimes, Warehouse's Head Case

Jun 24, 2013
by Matt Roush



... DEFYING TRADITION: The inter-species wedding of alien DJ Alak of the Castithians and human cipher Christine — not quite Romeo and Juliet, no matter how hard they try to make it interesting — provides the backdrop for a fairly pivotal episode of Syfy's stubbornly somnolent sci-fi/Western hybrid Defiance (9/8c).

I've tried to get engaged in this series, but there's a flatness to the writing and most of the acting that makes many of its episodes feel like an eternity of tired clichés. One of the duller characters, earnest Deputy Tommy, takes the lead in pursuing a dormant mystery when the skeleton of Kenya's long-missing ex-husband is found in the walls of the NeedWant brothel. There are plenty of suspects, and when both Datak and future in-law Rafe fall under suspicion, the wedding appears to be in peril — although the exotically calculating mother-of-the-groom Stahma Tarr (Jaime Murray, the show's best asset) keeps things on track, gifting her "heart daughter" (Castithian for "daughter-in-law") with a funky traditional headpiece that renders the bride-to-be blind. Happily, the solution to the mystery-of-the-week is an eye-opener that portends well for the remaining two episodes this season...

Defiance cast includes Tony Curran, Jaime Murray, Julie Benz, Mia Kirshner, Grant Bowler, Stephanie Leonidas, Graham Greene, Dewshane Williams, Jesse Rath, Justin Rain and Nicole Muñoz.



NEW Defiance episodes air Monday at 9/8C on Syfy. CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE EPISODE TRAILER FOR 'THE BRIDE WORE BLACK,' AIRING JUNE 24, 2013.

Longmire - TV Guide: Monday Playlist Jun 24 '13 - A&E TV 10/9C

Source: TV Guide [follow link for complete column]



TV GUIDE: The Monday Playlist: Under the Dome, Major Crimes, Warehouse's Head Case

Jun 24, 2013
by Matt Roush


... SUMMER DRAMA: ... On A&E's quietly compelling Western-set mystery drama Longmire (10/9c), the death of a teenage girl leads to an investigation of illegal prescription-drug peddling.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE EPISODE TRAILER FOR 'PARTY'S OVER'

King & Maxwell - TV Guide: Monday Playlist Jun 24 '13 - TNT 10/9C

Source: TV Guide [follow link for complete column]



TV GUIDE: The Monday Playlist: Under the Dome, Major Crimes, Warehouse's Head Case

Jun 24, 2013
by Matt Roush


... SUMMER DRAMA: ... On TNT's newest drama King & Maxwell (10/9c), so light it evaporates as you watch, Sean (Jon Tenney) will shed further light on just what caused him to leave the Secret Service under a cloud.


CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE EPISODE TRAILER FOR 'WILD CARD'

David Tennant - Broadchurch - BBC America Video: New Series Promo - Premieres Aug 7 '13

Source: BBC America You Tube channel



BROADCHURCH - BBC AMERICA VIDEO: NEW SERIES PROMO - PREMIERES WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2013 AT 10/9C

Jun 24, 2013

Don't miss the premiere of critically-acclaimed drama series BROADCHURCH, starring Doctor Who's DAVID TENNANT, ARTHUR DARVILL & OLIVIA COLMAN *** Wednesday AUG 7 at 10/9c *** Only on BBC AMERICA

BBC America's BROADCHURCH, which earned critical acclaim, record ratings and became a Twitter phenomenon in the UK, centers on a quiet seaside town following the shocking murder of a young boy and the impact it has on the tight-knit community when everyone becomes a suspect.

Leading the investigation are two detectives -- the strong yet compassionate local Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller (OLIVIA COLMAN, Twenty Twelve, The Iron Lady), and the by-the-book Detective Inspector Alec Hardy (DAVID TENNANT, Doctor Who, Spies of Warsaw), Ellie's newly appointed boss.

By circumstance they are partnered to solve the murder, keeping the newspapers from derailing the investigation and trying to prevent the crime from impacting tourism at the beach where the boy was murdered. The detectives are forced to put personal connections to the case aside to solve the crime that has changed the quaint community forever.

The all-star ensemble cast also includes JODIE WHITTAKER (One Day, Venus) and ANDREW BUCHAN (Bones, Cranford) as the boy's grieving parents Beth and Mark Latimer; ARTHUR DARVILL (Doctor Who) as the town priest Reverend Paul Coates; DAVID BRADLEY (Game of Thrones, An Adventure in Space and Time), as local shop owner Jack Marshall; MATTHEW GRAVELLE (The Bible) as Ellie's supportive husband Joe Miller; JONATHAN BAILEY (Leonardo) as up-and-coming local reporter Olly Stevens who is attempting to make the case his big break; VICKY MCCLURE (This is England) as eager London reporter Karen White and PAULINE QUIRKE (Birds of a Feather) as mysterious loner Susan Wright.