The Playlist

Susanna Clarke's 'Jonathan Strange And Mr Norrell' Will Be A BBC Series

By Kevin Jagernauth
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November 30, 2012 10:19 AM
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0 Comments

Television

I'm not a fantasy fiction buff by any stretch, but in 2004 it was hard to ignore the mammoth accomplishment of Susanna Clarke's "Jonathan Strange And Mr. Norrell." A wildly original and inventive epic, running nearly 800 pages, the work was one of the few to crossover to the mainstream, becoming a critical darling and a best-seller. Its dazzling weaving together of history, magic, romance and more (combined with David Foster Wallace style footnotes) made it one of the most unique reading experiences in a long time. It would no doubt be a difficult text to adapt, but BBC is going to give it a try.

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Brad Pitt Brings 'Paper' To HBO, Says He'd Love To Reteam With David Fincher For '20,000 Leagues Under The Sea'

By Cain Rodriguez
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November 30, 2012 10:02 AM
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1 Comment

News

Though basic cable networks like FX and AMC, as well as streaming giant Netflix, are trying their hand at the type of programming that made HBO famous, the cable company isn’t yielding an inch. Variety is reporting that the venerated cable channel is developing the new series “Paper” with Brad Pitt’s production company Plan B.

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CBS Orders Steven Spielberg/Brian K. Vaughan Stephen King Adaptation 'Under The Dome' To Series for Summer 2013

By Drew Taylor
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November 29, 2012 7:32 PM
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6 Comments

Television

Somewhat surprisingly, CBS has bypassed the usual pilot song-and-dance and gone ahead and ordered thirteen episodes of "Under the Dome," an adaptation of Stephen King's beloved doorstop-sized novel, adapted by comic book creator Brian K. Vaughan and executive produced by Steven Spielberg. The series should begin airing/scaring the crap out of audiences next summer.

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'Boardwalk Empire' Season 4 Will Get The Talents Of 'The Wire' Writers Dennis Lehane & George Pelecanos

By Joe Cunningham
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November 29, 2012 3:13 PM
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4 Comments

Television

“Boardwalk Empire” is set to air its third season finale on Sunday, and very early on in the third season’s run it was announced that HBO had renewed the show for a fourth season. Showrunner Terrence Winter seems to have a very definite roadmap in terms of the story he wants to tell on the show, and to date the program has reliably delivered a new 12-episode season every September. It seems that trend will continue next year, and with all eyes creatively on season four, the show has recruited two new collaborators who have a pretty good track record.

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Norman Bates Upgrades To An iPhone In New Images from 'Bates Motel'

By Charlie Schmidlin
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November 28, 2012 12:39 PM
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3 Comments

Television

Since being touted this past summer as a spiritual cross between “Smallville” and “Twin Peaks,” it's safe to say the A&E “Psycho” prequel “Bates Motel” is well on its way toward earning that claim. In terms of recent Hitchcock reverence, the series looks to take its tone more toward the bright absurdity of Anthony Hopkins' “Hitchcock,” rather than the dour one of “The Girl,” and now a slew of peculiar new photos have appeared to intrigue further.

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SyFy In Talks To Tempt Fate, Develop 'Waterworld' TV Series

By Charlie Schmidlin
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November 28, 2012 9:16 AM
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1 Comment

Television

A footnote of contention always appears around Kevin Costner's ambitious 1995 sci-fi “Waterworld,” in that despite its reputation as a legendary flop ($264 million worldwide box office on a $200+ million budget), the film itself is never quite as awful as the general word indicates, though at no point does it deliver anything other than an unhinged Dennis Hopper and empty spectacle. Now it seems one of cable's top channels are gearing up to give the property a second look.

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Hungry, Heathen, Slave: 'House Of Cards' Characters Get Profiled In New Images

By Kevin Jagernauth
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November 27, 2012 4:36 PM
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3 Comments

Television

One of the big events of 2013 won't be happening at the multiplex, but through your Netflix account as David Fincher's "House Of Cards" will unspool on the streaming rental site. While it's not the first piece of original programming to stream online, it's certainly the most high profile, and it will undoubtedly be a major test for the future of broadcasting which is only getting more competitive. And with the first trailer turning heads a couple of weeks back, a new batch of character images have dropped.

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Watch: First Clip & TV Spots For 'A Young Doctor's Notebook' Starring Jon Hamm & Daniel Radcliffe

By Joe Cunningham
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November 26, 2012 10:16 PM
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1 Comment

Television

Coming soon to a television screen near you (well, if you live in the UK that is – otherwise it’s coming soon to an illegal internet stream) is a fascinating looking project from Sky Arts, notable primarily because of its two stars. Jon Hamm and Daniel Radcliffe are teaming up to play younger and older versions of the same person in the miniseries, “A Young Doctor’s Notebook,” and the first clip from the show has surfaced online alongside a batch of short promos.

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Hannah, Marnie, Jessa & Adam Are Back In First Images From 'Girls' Season 2

By Kevin Jagernauth
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November 26, 2012 3:59 PM
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8 Comments

Television

Here we go again. Let's cue up the Criterion Collection whiners about "Tiny Furniture" or those others who feel Lena Dunham hasn't paid whatever ephemeral dues she needs to in order to qualify for the acclaim she has earned thus far at the age of 26. Haters gonna hate, but frankly Dunham is doing just fine without those folks, and less than a year after "Girls" made a serious splash on HBO, season 2 is on the way.

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