New Cameron Crowe Scripted Show For Showtime @CameronCrowe @sho_network

I am super excited to hear that Showtime has given a pilot production order for a Cameron Crowe written comedy series titled ROADIES. Just in case you don't know Mr. Crowe has had a few successes with films like ALMOST FAMOUS, SINGLES, and FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH just to mention 3 decades.

This new comedy series will follow the goings on of a successful rock band tour as experienced by their faithful road crew, AKA roadies. Crowe will executive produce with Winnie Holzman (Huge, My So-Called Life, Wicked), who will serve as showrunner, and J.J. Abrams (Lost, Fringe, Person of Interest). So it's a loaded bench.

Sounds good, right?

I love all things Cameron Crowe so I'll be waiting for this pilot with bated breathe. Don't worry about missing it. I will be making a lot of noise about this one. I have everything crossed it comes out soon and can be my new obsession when MAD MEN takes it's final bow next spring.

It's like a weight has been lifted and I know excellent, fabulous serial TV will live on!

UPDATE 12-14-14

Christina Hendricks from Mad Men has been cast to star in ROADIES. Christina Hendricks will portray “Shelli,” the band’s production manager – Bill’s (Luke Wilson) ingenious work partner, tough, but privately emotional, married to her job… and scary-good at it. Luke Wilson (Old School, The Royal Tenenbaums), Imogen Poots (The Look of Love), Rafe Spall (One Day), Peter Cambor (NCIS: Los Angeles) and Academy Award® nominee Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider) were previously announced as stars of the ensemble cast. The one-hour comedy pilot will shoot in Vancouver in early 2015.

Eli Wallach at TCM Film Festival on Acting in FROM HERE TO ETERNITY #TCMFF #RIP

Eli Wallach and Robert Osbourne Photo Courtesy of Turner Classic Movies

Eli Wallach's passing was such sad news. I've said it many times, but each time we lose one of these film legends, it feels like a priceless family heirloom has been destroyed. They are impossible to replace and their loss is so much more than monetary or emotional. They connect us to a time we have no other way to experience. They are our thread and without them goes all of that.

I have been lucky to get to see many great film legends at the TCM Film Festival for the last five years and Eli has been there a few times. The first year I heard him be interviewed by Robert Osbourne (pictured above). In the above picture Eli is sharing a birthday card that Clint Eastwood sent him that plays the music from THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY.

Below is some video I took of the interview, where Eli talks about when he will leave the acting profession and how he ended up not being in FROM HERE TO ETERNITY.



I hope that his family find some comfort in what a huge impression this talented man left on his fans. Yesterday, when he passed away, someone reposted a tweet of mine from December 17th 2013. TCM had been airing Eli Wallach's film THE HOLIDAY and this is what I shared.

"Is it wrong that I would definitely pick a week w/ Eli Wallach over Jude Law? #TCMParty I knew you'd understand. #TheHoliday"

I stand by it even more today!

TCM will be airing a whole day of Eli's films June 30th.

9 a.m. – Kisses for My President (1964) – The first female president has to deal with her husband's bruised ego. Starring Fred MacMurray, Polly Bergen and Eli Wallach. Directed by Curtis Bernhardt.

11 a.m. – Act One (1963) – George Hamilton stars in the true story of playwright Moss Hart, a poor Brooklyn boy who joins forces with an experienced playwright to conquer Broadway and Hollywood. Also starring Jason Robards Jr., Jack Klugman and Eli Wallash. Directed by Dore Schary.

1 p.m. – How the West Was Won (1962) – This epic film follows three generations of pioneers as they take part in the forging of the American West. Starring Carroll Baker, Henry Fonda, Gregory Peck, George Peppard, Carolyn Jones, Eli Wallach, Robert Preston, Debbie Reynolds, James Stewart, John Wayne, Richard Widmark and Spencer Tracy. Directed by John Ford, George Marshall and Henry Hathaway.

3:45 p.m. – The Misfits (1961) – A sensitive divorcee gets mixed up with modern cowboys roping mustangs in the desert. Starring Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift, Thelma Ritter and Eli Wallach. Directed by John Huston.

6 p.m. – Baby Doll (1956) – A child bride holds her husband at bay while flirting with a sexy Italian farmer. Starring Karl Malden, Carroll Baker and Eli Wallach. Directed by Elia Kazan.

BBC America Premieres THE MUSKETEERS Sunday @BBCAMERICA #TheMusketeers

Swashbuckling is back in a big way. BBC America will premier their THE MUSKETEERS this Sunday. I got a sneak peek and I liked what I saw. It a fresh take on a story we know and love. I look forward to seeing the developement of the series.

Here's BBC America's description: The Musketeers, is set on the streets of seventeenth century Paris, where law and order is an idea more than a reality. In addition to being King Louis XIII’s personal bodyguards, Athos, Aramis and Porthos stand resolutely for social justice, honor, valor, love – and for the thrill of it. Luke Pasqualino (Skins, The Borgias) stars as D’Artagnan alongside Tom Burke (Great Expectations, The Hour) as Athos, Santiago Cabrera (Merlin, Heroes) as Aramis and Howard Charles (Royal Shakespeare Company) as Porthos. Peter Capaldi (Doctor Who, The Hour, The Thick Of It), Maimie McCoy (Loving Miss Hatto), Tamla Kari (Cuckoo, The Inbetweeners Movie) and Hugo Speer (Bedlam) also star in the 10-part series created by Adrian Hodges (My Week With Marilyn, Primeval)

As a Doctor Who geek I admit I am somewhat intrigued by Peter Capaldi as Cardinal Richelieu. He's a true blue baddy in this, but in just a month or two we'll be seeing him as our well loved Doctor.

Back to THE MUSKETEERS. Here is a little trailer to give you a taste.

EARTH TO ECHO Opens July 2 #EarthToEcho

EARTH TO ECHO opens July 2. This is the first film that I feel really speaks to this generation of digital natives. The kids in the film were interacting in the same way I see my daughter with her friends. They are on computers video chatting while playing a game and looking things up. They all have cell phone and can learn (or at least think they can) anything they need to know by googling it. It's a big thing for kids to see themselves reflect in film and I think EARTH TO ECHO does a great job of that.

Still as modern as this film is it also brought me back to the movies of my youth in the 1970s. The kids are not as sugar coated as they can be in films today. There are rough edges and one of them actually uses a curse word. It's only "balls", but I appreciated the effort. If you go back and watch the 80s film GOONIES you will notice the kids are cursing up a storm. I'm not advocating for that, but I think a little salty language is called for when anyone is in a life threatening situation.

In the theatre, the night we saw the screening, I noticed the younger kids were getting a bit squirmy. I would say this film is probably best suited to kids 8 and up.

The following day my daughter was given the opportunity to interview the cast with a few other blogger kids. You can see it here.



Here's the film trailer!

Doctor Who Season 7 on Netflix

Doctor Who season eight doesn't return to BBC America until August but you can get yourself caught up or just refresh your timey wimey memory on Netflix. Until the other day they only had up to season 6 of the more recent incarnation of the Doctor. But season seven has just been added.

 If, like my daughter, you have already committed all of those "first" six seasons to memory you will be happy to learn they have added season seven. Which gives you more than a month to study last season's farewell to Matt Smith and the introduction of Peter Capaldi.

Until there is this!