New TV Series Alert

ShadowHunters Producers Carmody and Cormican Board Davis Films’ New York Times #1 Bestseller Vampire Series Based on ‘House of Night’ Novels

NEW YORK (October 2, 2019) ¾ Victor Hadida, Chairman of Davis Films, announced today that Academy Award-winning producer Don Carmody (Chicago) and International Emmy-nominated producer David Cormican (Tokyo Trial), the producing duo and production shingle behind the recently released Netflix original family-drama series Northern Rescue, have joined forces through their DCTV with Davis to adapt the #1 New York Times bestselling book franchise ‘House of Night’to a live-action television series.

‘House of Night’ is a series of young adult vampire-themed fantasy novels written by American author P. C. Cast and her daughter Kristin Cast. In a world where vampyres co-exist with humans, are feared by some and misunderstood by many, the novels follow the adventures of Zoey Redbird, a sixteen-year-old human who has just been selected for vampire finishing school and is required to attend the House of Night academywhere she will prepare to make the change into becoming an actual vampyre.

The ‘House of Night’ series is an international phenomenon, reaching #1 on U.S., German and U.K. bestseller lists and has been a fixture on the New York Times Children’s Series bestseller list for more than 153 weeks so far and has enjoyed a staggering 424 weeks and counting on the USA Today bestseller list.

Hadida stated, “My late brother Samuel and I purchased the production rights to this amazing set of books a few years ago, and have been looking for the right partners to bring it to fruition.  I am thrilled to have our good friends Don and David join us on this journey to recreate the remarkable universe that P.C. and Kristin have created.”

Carmody has a long history with Davis Films and Samuel and Victor Hadida. They previously co-produced together both instalments of the Silent Hill franchise, several of the Resident Evil franchise films, and most recently Lucky Day (written and directed by Roger Avary).  Carmody added, “We have known and worked together with Samuel and Victor on multiple successful projects over the past fifteen years or longer.  We are honored that Victor asked us to join with him in realizing the vision of these books, which we know meant so much to Samuel.”

Author P.C. Cast commented, “Kristin and I are thrilled that Don and David have joined Team Cast!  We love their work and believe they will respect the House of Night mythos as they bring it alive in a new medium.  We’re excited to see what the future will bring.” There are presently sixteen books and novellas in the main series. The third novel in a spin-off series, House of Night Other World with Blackstone Publishing, releases October 29th, followed by a fourth novel July 2020. In addition to the main series, there are various ancillary books, including House of Night: Legacy with Dark Horse Comics, The Fledgling Handbook 101 through St. Martin's Press, The House of Night Oracle Cards with Random House and others. 

The House of Night books have sold over thirteen million copies in North America, and over 21 million copies worldwide. The books have been translated in to more than 30 languages across 41 countries.

Carmody produced the feature film adaptation of the Cassandra Clare young adult novels The Mortal Instruments, and subsequently with Cormican the television spin-offShadowHunters for Disney’s Freeform (formerly ABC Family).

DCTV and Davis will jointly develop and produce the series for domestic broadcast and worldwide distribution.

This latest announcement follows the wave of success blazed byShadowHunters and other Young Adult breakout adaptation series such as Riverdale, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina andthe seminal, genre-defining, Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

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ABOUT DAVIS FILMS

Davis Films, based in Paris, is one of the world’s leading independent production companies and has been directly involved in the production of over forty feature films. Along with leading French distributor Metropolitan FilmExport, Davis Films was owned and managed by Samuel and Victor Hadidafor many years.  Following Samuel’s passing last year, the companies remain under ownership of the Hadida family and Victor’s management.

The first Davis production was Tony Scott’s True Romance,based on a Quentin Tarantino script. Davis also teamed with Scott years later for Domino, starring Keira Knightley.  Davis is also known for its successful adaptations of Japanese media, including Crying Freeman, with Christophe Gans directing, the Resident Evil franchise co-produced with Constantin, and theSilent Hill franchise. 

ABOUT DON CARMODY TELEVISION (DCTV)

Don Carmody Television (DCTV), established in 2013, is a partnership between intrepid entrepreneurs Don Carmody and David Cormican. Carmody, one of North America’s most successful producers of premium content since 1980, has produced 100+ projects for cinema including Best Picture Academy Award-winner® Chicago, Polytechnique, and Goon, to the Resident Evil, The Boondock Saints and Silent Hill film franchises, and include wins at the Golden Globes, Academy Awards® and Emmys®. Carmody & Cormican’s combined creative forces allow a unique and unparalleled offering in the industry; pairing an industry titan with a next-generation luminary. With a keen eye for story, coupled with an ability to attract talent and navigate international co-productions with ease, DCTV productions include the International Emmy® nominated historical mini-series “Tokyo Trial” for Netflix and NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation), “Between”, an original series for Netflix, and “ShadowHunters” for Freeform, along with the multi-Emmy® nominated mini-series “The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe” for Lifetime and most recently “Northern Rescue” for Netflix. DCTV’s first feature film, Tulipani, Love, Honour & A Bicycle directed by two-time Academy Award® winner Mike van Diem, bowed at the 2017 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival.

DreamWorks Animation Television Creates Two Original Kids Series for Amazon Prime Video

DreamWorks Animation Television Creates Two Original Kids Series for Amazon Prime Video

The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny

to debut this year

Watch the brand new trailer for The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle:  https://youtu.be/dMUwTLe3kgg

DreamWorks Animation Television is creating two original kids series for Amazon Prime Video, beginning with the all-new The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle expected to premiere May 11, 2018 in the US, UK, Germany, India, and Japan. A second series inspired by the blockbuster franchise, Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny, will have a global debut later this year in over 200 territories, also on Prime Video.

The world-famous talking moose and flying squirrel are back in The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, a serialized comedy about two goofball best friends who routinely find themselves thrust into harrowing situations but end up saving the day time and again. As Rocky and Bullwinkle's innocent and silly ambitions to become rock stars or find lost treasure end up dovetailing with Fearless Leader's sinister plans to take over the world, our heroes are set on a collision course with his notorious super spies Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale.

The series is executive produced by Scott Fellows (The Fairly OddParents, Big Time Rush) and Tiffany Ward, daughter of the original series producer Jay Ward, and features Tara Strong (The Powerpuff Girls, Teen Titans Go!)  as the voice of Rocket J. Squirrel, Brad Norman (America’s Most Haunted) as Bullwinkle J. Moose, Ben Diskin (Hey Arnold!) as Boris Badenov, Rachel Butera (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) as Natasha Fatale, Piotr Michael (Impress Me, MADtv) as Fearless Leader and Daran Norris (The Fairly OddParents) as Narrator.

Later in 2018, Prime Video will premiere Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny, an epic adventure series from Emmy Award-winning executive producers Mitch Watson (All Hail King Julien) and Elliott Owen (All Hail King Julien), and Lane Lueras (The Adventures of Puss in Boots). When four panda kids stumble upon a mystical cave beneath Panda Village, accidentally absorbing the chi of ancient and powerful kung fu warriors known as the Four Constellations, they must realize a destiny to save the world from an evil force. Meanwhile, Po finds himself faced with his biggest challenge yet -- teaching this ragtag band of kids how to wield their newfound powers.

Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny marks the first time an original series from DreamWorks Animation Television will be made available to Prime Video customers worldwide. Since 2013, DreamWorks has launched 17 series around the globe, garnering 17 Emmy Awards since inception. DreamWorks was recently nominated for 23 2018 Daytime Creative Arts Emmys.

• The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, expected to premiere May 11, 2018 in the US, UK, Germany, India, and Japan.
• Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny, will have a global debut later this year

Season 1 of #TheHandmaidsTale Arrives on Blu-ray & DVD 3/13

WINNER OF EIGHT PRIMETIME EMMY® AWARDS, TWO GOLDEN GLOBE® AWARDS AND THREE CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARDS, MGM TELEVISION’S “THE HANDMAID’S TALE” SEASON ONE, COMES TO BLU-RAYTM AND DVD MARCH 13

LOS ANGELES (January 23, 2018) – “Clear your schedule for one of the best series of 2017”1 as season one of “THE HANDMAID’S TALE” comes to Blu-ray and DVD on March 13 from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. The 3-disc set also includes two brand new featurettes that take viewers deeper into the world of Gilead. Based on Margaret Atwood’s award-winning, best-selling novel, “THE HANDMAID’S TALE” is the story of life in the dystopia of Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was formerly the United States. Facing environmental disasters and a plunging birthrate, Gilead is ruled by a twisted fundamentalist regime that treats women as property of the state.  As one of the few remaining fertile women, Offred (Elisabeth Moss; Top Of The Lake, Mad Men) is a Handmaid in the Commander’s household, one of the  castes of women forced into sexual servitude as a last desperate attempt to repopulate a devastated  world. In this terrifying society where one wrong word could end her life, Offred must navigate between Commanders, their cruel wives, domestic Marthas, and her fellow Handmaids – where anyone could be a spy for Gilead – with one goal: to survive and find the daughter who was taken from her. “A magnificent and effectively haunting 10-episode series” (Hank Stuever, The Washington Post), “THE HANDMAID’S TALE” features outstanding performances from Moss, Joseph Fiennes (American Horror Story – Asylum, Shakespeare in Love), Yvonne Strahovski (Chuck, Dexter), Alexis Bledel (Gilmore Girls), Madeline Brewer (Orange is the New Black), Ann Dowd (Compliance, The Leftovers), O.T. Fagbenle (The Five), Max Minghella (The Mindy Project) and Samira Wiley (Orange is the New Black). The critically-acclaimed series from MGM Television, which will premiere season two on HULU April 25, is the winner of eight Primetime Emmy® Awards including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Moss) and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Dowd). The series also received two Golden Globe® Awards for Best Television Series—Drama and Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series—Drama (Moss) and three Critics’ Choice Awards for Best Drama Series, Best Actress in a Drama Series (Moss), and Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Dowd). The Blu-ray and DVD include two fascinating behind-the-scenes featurettes on the making of the show, “From Script to Screen” and “Hope in Gilead.” “THE HANDMAID’S TALE” is created for television by Bruce Miller (The 100), who serves as the series’ showrunner. The critically-acclaimed series is executive produced by Miller, Warren Littlefield (Fargo), Daniel Wilson, Fran Sears and Ilene Chaiken. “THE HANDMAID’S TALE” is produced by MGM Television and internationally distributed by MGM.  1Mark A. Perigard, The Boston Herald THE HANDMAID’S TALE SEASON ONE BLU-RAYTM AND DVD BONUS FEATURES From Script to Screen: Go inside the premiere episode’s “Salvaging”, a harrowing scene where Handmaids violently participate in the execution of an alleged attacker. Interviews with series Showrunner/Executive Producer Bruce Miller, Elisabeth Moss, Ann Dowd and Madeline Brewer, as well as an in-depth look at the story points, character arcs and complexity of shooting this sequence with Director of episodes one through three, Reed Morano. Hope in Gilead: Examine the reasons why “THE HANDMAID’S TALE” has captivated millions and become a cultural phenomenon. The cast and crew discuss parallels with today’s political climate as well as the series’ themes of hope, resilience and the fight for freedom. THE HANDMAID’S TALE  SEASON ONE BLU-RAYTM Street Date:              March 13, 2018 Screen Format:        16:9 (1.78:1) Audio:                       English Dolby Digital 5.1 Subtitles:                  English for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Spanish, French Total Run Time:        545 minutes THE HANDMAID’S TALE SEASON ONE DVD Street Date:              March 13, 2018 Screen Format:         6:9 (1.78:1) Audio:                        English Dolby Digital 5.1 Subtitles:                   English for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Spanish, French Total Run Time:         545 minutes ABOUT TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC (TCFHE) is a recognized global industry leader and a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film. TCFHE is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming, acquisitions and original productions as well as all third party distribution partners on DVD, Blu-ray™, 4K Ultra HD, Digital, and VOD (video-on-demand). Each year TCFHE introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it services to retail outlets and digital stores throughout the world. ABOUT METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) is a leading entertainment company focused on the production and global distribution of film and television content across all platforms. The company owns one of the world’s deepest libraries of premium film and television content as well as the premium pay television network EPIX, which is available throughout the U.S. via cable, satellite, telco and digital distributors.  In addition, MGM has investments in numerous other television channels, digital platforms and interactive ventures and is producing premium short-form content for distribution. For more information, visit www.mgm.com.

Stephen King's The Mist Coming To Spike TV in June

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On June 22, watch the series premiere of The Mist at 10/9c. The Mist comes from a story written by Stephen King. There’s something out there in the latest trailer for #TheMist.

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The Mist
By Stephen King

Soon to be a television series on Spike TV
#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King’s terrifying novella about a town engulfed in a dense, mysterious mist—as humanity makes its last stand against unholy destruction…

In the wake of a destructive Maine summer thunderstorm, an impenetrable mist descends from the direction of a local military facility and infiltrates the small town of Bridgton. David Drayton and his son Billy are dragged into a living nightmare as unnatural and violent forces concealed by the mist begin to emerge, wreaking havoc in their wake. Now trapped in the local supermarket with a ragtag group of survivors, David unexpectedly faces a growing threat from within, one that promises to challenge the boundaries of sanity itself. In this horrifying mist, hearing is seeing—and believing. And what you’re about to hear, you’ll never forget.

Originally published in his acclaimed collection, Skeleton Crew, this riveting, eerie novella proves why Stephen King is a master storyteller in short form.

Holy Smoke! The first look at Shadowhunters is here!

Say hello to the new Shadowhunters.

Today, EW shared with us exclusive pictures of the upcoming ABC Family TV show Shadowhunters.

As ABC Family prepares to bring the adventures of Clary Fray to the small screen, EW has your exclusive first look at Shadowhunters.

Based on the best-selling book series, The Mortal Instruments, the story follows Clary, a fiery young artist who finds herself in the middle of some serious supernatural drama upon discovering she comes from a line of Shadowhunters – part-human, part-angel warriors dedicated to hunting down demons. After her mother is kidnapped, Clary explores this new world filled with warlocks, fairies, werewolves, and vampires where she begins to unravel the secrets of her past. And, of course, she has a little help from her nerdy BFF Simon and a handsome and mysterious Shadowhunter named Jace.

Click here to read more.

I'm super excited for this show! The cast are fantastic.

What do you think about it so far?

TV News: Sons of Anarchy Fan Event Pictures Recap

If you're as big of a Sons Of Anarchy fan as I am, you might still be recovering from the fact that you just watched the hit show's last episode this past Tuesday night. *Moment Of Silence* I know, I know, cheesy. But, hey that show was so good, and so cray, and so addicting. I was hooked since day one!

Also, the awesome Sons Of Anarchy Collector's Set containing seasons 1-6, and a slot for season 7, in an iconic recreation of the SAMCRO Clubhouse Table is now on Blu-ray and DVD. Just in time for Christmas.

This past Tuesday night, Kurt Sutter, creator of SOA, along with FX and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, hosted the final Anarchy Afterward show following the series finale. Fans joined the cast and crew for a final goodbye.

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Check out the images from the event...

• Sons Of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter hosts the final Anarchy Afterward following the series final on December 9.

• Sons Of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter discusses the legacy of Sons Of Anarchy with Charlie Hunnam during the final Anarchy Afterward on December 9.

•Charlie Hunnam answers fan questions during the final Anarchy Afterward on December 9.

• Kurt Sutter showcases the Sons Of Anarchy Collector's Set containing seasons 1-6, and a slot for season 7, in an iconic recreation of the SAMCRO Clubhouse Table.

• The Sons Of Anarchy cast gathers around the SAMCRO Clubhouse Table for the final Anarchy Afterward on December 9.

• The Sons Of Anarchy cast raises a glass to the series finale on December 9.

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About Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment 

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is the industry leading worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox produced, acquired and third party partner film and television programing. Each year TCFHE expands its award-winning global product portfolio with the introduction of new entertainment content through established and emerging formats including DVD, Blu-ray™ and Digital HD™. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is a subsidiary of 21st Century Fox.

Must Watch TV: #JanetheVirgin | #Scorpion | #TheFlash

Must Watch TV!!!

Here on OUaT we talk a lot about books (just a little, lol) and some movies here and there. But we hardly ever mention TV shows. Well today that is not the case. I'll be mentioning a couple TV shows I find worthy of getting the word out to everyone so that your tuning in weekly.

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Jane the Virgin:

Mondays on the CW at 9/8c.

I'll admit I was one the the folks bashing this show when the CW announced it in the 2014 fall line up. I was mad because a couple of my favorite shows were cancelled (Star-Crossed, The Tomorrow People) and here comes this replacement, I wasn't having it. Boy did the quickly change. After seeing sneak peeks, I finally decided I would give the pilot show a try. I was immediately hooked, like a kid to a candy store hooked. Needless to say, I hit record series on my DVR, so I'd never miss a show.

Jane the Virgin is a breath of fresh air. It's the perfect show to have on Mondays, after your day is done and your stressed out, Jane the Virgin will release all that stress from a Monday out the door. You'll catch yourself laughing unexpectedly at any point in time during the show. You can't predict when you will laugh out to getting all lovey-dovey over a scene, it's that fantastic.

Jane the Virgin is based off a Venezuelan telenovela (soap opera) which if you have never seen a Spanish telenovela, it's nothing like the English soap operas that are all about the angst, hate and heavy sad dilemmas. Another difference is telenovelas last a few months while English soaps are never-ending. So in those few months telenovelas will jam pack everything into a short time. So Jane the Virgin definitely has all the ingredients that make a telenovela addicting plus the CW's touch.

Jane the Virgin is centered around Jane Villanueva played by Gina Rodriguez (Filly Brown). Jane never expected after saving her virginity for so many years that she would be in the predicament she ended up in. See Jane went in for a routine check up at the gynecologist and it turns out the Dr. Luisa Alver played by Yara Martinez (The Lying Game) was off her game that day. Dr. Alver accidentally artificially inseminated Jane with Rafael Solano played by Justin Baldoni (The Bold and the Beautiful) sperm, which happens to be her brother. See Rafael's wife Petra played by Yael Grobglas (Reign) was going to have her sister in law do the procedure without Rafael knowing. And what makes matters worse is that Rafael after surviving cancer is no longer capable of having children, so that sperm was the last chance at him ever becoming a father. Isn't is great so far??? I can sit here all day and tell you every detail but that wouldn't be any fun. you have to experience Jane the Virgin for yourselves. This one accident sets so many things in motion, you can't wait to see how everything unfolds one by one.

Ha! I'm telling you the show just gets juicer and funnier as the episodes premiere. The chemistry between swoon-worthy Rafael and whimsical Jane, is perfect. I was totally routing for Jane to be done with her softy fiancee Michael Cordero Jr. played by Brett Dier (Ravenswood). And when Jane finally meets her famous telenovela father Rogelio De La Vega played by Jamie Camil (Pulling Strings), the show jump to another level in funny. They couldn't have chosen better actors to play the roles of Alba Villanueva, Jane's Grandmother played by Ivonne Coll (The Godfather:Part II) and Xiomara Villanueva, Jane's mother played by the saucy Andrea Navedo(Guiding Light). All these characters combined create a really great show that everyone should check out. Would I ever steer you guys wrong?

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Scorpion:

Mondays on CBS at 9/8c.

Next up is Scorpion that also comes on Mondays on CBS (this is the perfect example why you need a DVR) at the same time as Jane the Virgin. This new show really surprised us on how great it is. Its not your typical detective-drama TV show. Nope, in Scorpion you have a group of super-genius that have been friends for a long time and end up getting hired by the government to help them solve all types of threats and issues. Now this group how they function makes no sense but they do because of each of them being a different type of genius. They each have their fortes. And doing this as a group, it helps them focus so they aren't getting into trouble hacking or investigating something they shouldn't have their noses in. Scorpion is loosely based of the life of genius Walter O'Brien who is the CEO of Scorpion Computer Services. 

The tactical team consist of Walter O'Brien played by Elyes Gabel (Game of Thrones), he is the center and creator of the group and has an IQ higher than Einstein. Then you have Toby Curtis played by Eddie Kaye Thomas (American Pie) who is the crazy Shrink of the group. Next up is Happy Quinn played by Jadyn Wong (Cosmopolis) who is the muscles and mechanical prodigy of the group even though she is out weight by all the guys. Then you have Sylvester Dodd played by Ari Stidham (Huge) who is the human calculator and super quirky. And then you have the one group member that isn't a genius but the group without her would fall apart, Paige Dineen played by Katherine McPhee (American Idol). And last but not least, the man who put these guys together officially and considers Walter's character a son is Cabe Gallo played by Robert Patrick (Terminator 2). And even though he isn't in the Scorpion group, he is a great asset to them and the show, Ralph Dineen played by Riley B. Smith (The Back-up Plan), Paige's genius son. And there you have Scorpion. 

Every week Scorpion is given a new task that no ordinary group can attack. You witness these characters bump heads and then when they finally come together as one, it's pure genius (no pun intended, lol). The show contains tons of what you love about shows like CSI, NCIS and House all bottled into one plot. It's definitely over the top and at times you know what they are doing is not believable at all but it's fun to watch and see how it plays out. It worth watching every week. 

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The Flash:

Tuesday on the CW at 8/7c.

If you are a fan of CW's Arrow, then I'm 99% sure you watch The Flash also. But just in case you don't here is why you should be. Arrow we love for many reason which would probably be similar to why you would like The Flash. The big difference I would point out is that Arrow is darker than The Flash. I think The Flash would cater more to the younger audience because it does have a lighter appeal to it in the story lines. 

Yes Arrow and The Flash both hunt down bad guys but in Arrow those bad guys are seriously mentally bad and those causing trouble in The Flash, weren't always like that. These meta-humans as they are called in the show were created at the same time by the same explosion that gave Barry Allen a.k.a. "The Flash" played by Grant Gustin (90210) his super speed when struck by lighting from the massive partial accelerator accident. So even though now they need to be captured because of their actions, they weren't always bad guys before. 

In every new episode we see Barry grow as "The Flash" and the meta-humans get tougher and tougher to beat or capture. Thank goodness Barry has a team at STAR labs (where the explosion happened) that helps him keep him in check. STAR labs Dr. Harrison Wells played by Tom Cavanagh  (Royal Pains) leads the team and has a really strong attachment to Barry or who Barry is now. The Doctor is one to watch, their is more to him than he leads on. Then you have the duo of Caitlin Snow played by Danielle Panabaker (Friday the 13th) and Cisco Ramon played by Carlos Valdes (me and My D@*k) who monitor and help Barry from the lab while he is out and about being a hero. These two characters really compliment each other and are seriously funny. Add a few more key actors and you got yourself good entertainment on Tuesday nights. 

And just recently The Flash and Arrow teamed up in their shows and they visited each other and help get the bad guys while trying not to hurt each other trying to see who was the better faster hero. Guys will be guys. And the episodes are just gonna get better and better as they go. I'm super excited to see what starts to unravel in the death of Barry's mom. So make sure your tuning in every Tuesday on the CW. 

Are you watching Stephen King’s Under the Dome?

I’m sure you are one of the 10 million plus viewers watching Stephen King’s Under the Dome TV adaptation, right? If you aren’t that you need to correct that immediately. This is what THR shared:

Fast National returns give the series premiere a 3.2 rating with adults 18-49 — 13.1 million viewers. That ties it with The Following for second-highest-rated drama premiere of the 2012-13 season (both falling shy of NBC’s Revolution) and gives it the biggest audience for a drama launch in the last year. It also marks CBS’ most watched summer debut since 2000 (Big Brother) and its highest rated since 2005 (Fire Me Please).

Under the Dome is based on the Stephen King novel based off the same name. Here is the book’s description:

On an entirely normal, beautiful fall day in Chester’s Mill, Maine, the town is inexplicably and suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. Planes crash into it and fall from the sky in flaming wreckage, a gardener’s hand is severed as “the dome” comes down on it, people running errands in the neighboring town are divided from their families, and cars explode on impact. No one can fathom what this barrier is, where it came from, and when — or if — it will go away.
Dale Barbara, Iraq vet and now a short-order cook, finds himself teamed with a few intrepid citizens — town newspaper owner Julia Shumway, a physician’s assistant at the hospital, a select-woman, and three brave kids. Against them stands Big Jim Rennie, a politician who will stop at nothing — even murder — to hold the reins of power, and his son, who is keeping a horrible secret in a dark pantry. But their main adversary is the Dome itself. Because time isn’t just short. It’s running out.

I personally have not read this novel by Stephen King and once I knew it was to become a TV show, I won’t read the book. I learned the hard way with The Vampire Diaries and True Blood, that you should not read the books while you watch the show at the same time. You compare everything to the book and end up getting upset because it usually doesn’t match the book. So I googled information about Under the Dome to get an idea of what the novel was about and read some book reviews. Needless to say I became excited to start watching the show. There have been 5 episodes now and every week that past, I get more and more obsessed with the show. It just keeps getting intense and nothing about it is predictable.

I read a post that IGN shared about “5 Things You Need To Know” about Under the Dome. IGN had the opportunity to attend an early screening of the debut episode recently at an event where co-executive producers Neal Baer (E.R.) and Brian K. Vaughan (Lost) were on hand to talk about the show. So this is what they mentioned:

• This Is Not A Miniseries
• It’s One Day At A Time In Chester’s Mill
• People Will Die, Mysteries Will Be Solved
• The Effects Will Keep On Coming
• The End May Not Be The End

“When I came up with this idea, I envisioned a town potentially being trapped for years,” King told the team, “and that’s something that you guys could get to do, that I didn’t.” Though they hope to run for more that one season, the co-executive producers do like what Vaughn refers to as the “all killer and no filler” 13-episode model, versus the more “traditional” network model of 20 or more episodes a season.

“The characters are complicated,” Baer says. “The people you think are bad, may not be so bad, and the ones you think are good, may not be so good. That’s really what Stephen King has always done so well, and we’ve really embraced that, too. So, don’t believe everything you see.”

“It’s not post-apocalyptic.” Vaughan says. “This is the first day after this life-altering tragedy, and we really didn’t want to leave these people, for a moment. We want to see each step, gradually, of how this society can change, as Chester’s Mill is cut off from the rest of the United States.”

“We pitched Stephen a far-out, big-swing idea for this to go several years, a different ending, and he was really excited by it, ” Vaughan said. The author was said to have exclaimed, “I wish I thought of that. That’s killer!” Ultimately, the choice was left up to the producers. “He said, ‘To quote Elvis, “It’s your baby, rock it.” Vaughan added.

“Steven Spielberg sees the best in humanity and Stephen King is always seeing the worst,” Vaughan said. “But there are similarities: they’re both really aggressive humanists who love people so much; and [love] throwing them in extraordinary situations and seeing what happens.”

Did all that get you interested yet? Under the Dome airs on CBS’ Monday’s at 10pm EST/9pm CST. A familiar face to twilight fans will be Rachelle LaFevre (Victoria from Twilight Saga: New Moon) she plays Julia Shumway: An investigative reporter who takes an interest in Barbie and her husband goes missing after the dome appears. Barbie is played by Mike Vogel known for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Grind, Poseidon, Blue Valentine, The Help and Cloverfield. Then you have newcomer Alexander Koch who plays Junior Rennie, wait till you see what his character is all about. Cray Cray!