Esai Morales in Law & Order: SVU, Prisoners' Wives premiere, interviews with Patton Oswalt and Christopher Heyerdahl, and more updates

The weekly wrap:

First, there are two things to check out on TV tonight.

Richard Harmon is in The Pregnancy Project, which airs at 8/7c on Lifetime. NiceGirlsTV.com has a preview.

And Winston Rekert, Maya Massar and Hrothgar Mathews (Obal in "Unvanquished," Helen the widow in "Retribution" and Dave in "Apotheosis") appear in Goodnight for Justice, a western starring Luke Perry, which also airs at 8 pm, on Hallmark. Synopsis and preview at Daemon's TV.

Some great news on other fronts:

Esai Morales will guest star in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in episode "Home Invasions," which airs on February 15. Synopsis from NBC:

Paula Malcomson cast in new Showtime pilot, Luke Camilleri in Arctic Air tonight, Falling Skies DVD release date, and more updates

A few quick updates.

To start with some frakking excellent news, Deadline writes that Paula Malcomson has landed a leading role in Showtime's new pilot, Ray Donovan:

A dark family drama with comedic undertones, the show centers on Ray (Schreiber), a professional “fixer” for LA’s rich and famous, the go-to guy in Hollywood who deftly solves the highly confidential problems of the city’s most intriguing personalities but can’t quite escape the damage in his own troubled family. Malcomson will play Ray’s wife Abby, a Boston tough girl who is still finding it hard to assimilate into the fast lane of Hollywood.

Luke Camilleri makes an appearance in tonight's episode of Arctic Air, "Hijacked," which airs at 9 pm on CBC in Canada. Michael Hogan is also back. Hit the pic to see a gallery of stills from the episode.

Here is the synopsis for Jane Espenson's next episode of Once Upon a Time, "Skin Deep," which airs on February 12 - Jessy Schram from Falling Skies and Emilie de Ravin from Lost guest star:

"Skin Deep" - After Mr. Gold's house is robbed, Emma keeps a close eye on him when it looks like he wants to track down the criminal and dole out some vigilante justice as payback, and Valentine's Day finds Mary Margaret, Ruby and Ashley (Jessy Schram, "Falling Skies") having a girls' night out. Meanwhile, in the fairytale land that was, Belle (Emilie de Ravin, "Lost") agrees to a fateful deal to give up her freedom in order to save her town from the horrors of the Ogre war, on "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Michael Eklund in Alcatraz, Hart of Dixie returns, new interview with Scott Porter, and new Arctic Air webisode

Hart of Dixie returns tonight at 9 pm on the CW. Zap2it has a new interview with Scott Porter. He talks about football and wanting Tim Tebow to play his brother on the show. Snippet:

On Friday, Jan. 20, between takes at the exterior set for the Rammer Jammer Restaurant on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, Calif., Porter laughs when he's asked if it's a cruel irony that his character's girl has her eye on a football player -- mirroring the situation on his earlier show, "Friday Night Lights," in which the fiancee of his character, paralyzed former top high-school quarterback Jason Street, cheated on him with his best friend and former Dillon Panthers teammate, Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch).

10,000 Days launched, new interview with Aleks Paunovic, and new projects for Magda Apanowicz, Anna Galvin, Hiro Kanagawa, James Marsters, Richard Harmon and James Pizzinato

First, a reminder that the last two episodes of Prime Suspect air tonight at 9 pm on NBC.

And a bunch of cast news:

Esai Morales has been nominated for a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special for his work in We Have Your Husband. Big congrats!

And also congrats to the Gun Hill Road team on the nomination for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film (Limited Release). Still no DVD release date for GHR.

Not sure if I mentioned it, but Eric Stoltz directed an episode of Californication last year. The episode now has a title and an air date: "Love Song," February 12. Spoiler TV has the synopsis.

Magda Apanowicz has a new credit on the IMDb. She will make an appearance in episode 1x06 of Holliston, the first original series from the FEARnet cable channel. The show is a horror sitcom, it premieres in April, and Magda will be playing "Goblin." Her episode is called "Weekend of Horrors."

The Chuck two-hour series finale airs this Friday, so Grimm is taking a break. Here are a couple of photos of Sasha Roiz in episode 1x10, "Organ Grinder," which airs in two weeks:

New Grimm tonight, John Pyper-Ferguson in Less Than Kind, new interviews with Christopher Heyerdahl and Michael Eklund

A few quick updates today, with more coming over the weekend.

Grimm 1x09, "Of Mouse and Man," airs tonight at 9 pm. Synopsis:

While investigating a gruesome homicide, Nick (David Giuntoli) learns that a seemingly mild-mannered resident could be festering a potential monster created from a dark childhood. Meanwhile, Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) is sent an unsettling message by the creature community, who are beginning to wonder if his priorities lie with them or a Grimm. Russell Hornsby, Bitsie Tulloch, Sasha Roiz and Reggie Lee also star.

And some interesting spoilers for the rest of the season, from Entertainment Weekly:

And because so many of you have sent in your questions on Capt. Renard (Sasha Roiz), the EP duo offered up this tease: Before the end of the season (likely with a few episodes to go), we will learn more about him and “it’s not what people think…and we’ve been told a lot of what people think,” says Kouf. “He walks a fine line. He’s balancing more than anyone.
In fact, says Greenwalt, some fans might even find themselves siding with Renard once we learn the truth. “He’s not just purely nefarious at all. He has his reasons for what he’s doing.”

John Pyper-Ferguson made a guest appearance in Less Than Kind, in episode 3x02, "Play It Again, Sam," as Jack, one of the people who show up for the funeral of Maury Chaykin's character. Synopsis, from TV-eh.com:

“Play It Again, Sam” – Sam’s funeral brings Sheldon face-to-face when Rabbi Rabinowitz delivers a half-hearted eulogy. Clara’s ex-husband Jack makes a surprise visit to pay his respects. An exiled Shandra attempts to support the living daylights out of Josh. Anne is numb as Shiva begins at the Blecher house.

New Playback trailer, Ben Cotton & Michael Eklund on Alcatraz, new projects for James Marsters and Avan Jogia, and more updates

A quick round of updates, in very random order.

A new trailer for Playback, with Alessandra Torresani, has been released on iTunes. You can watch it here. The film will be available on iTunes on February 3 and hit theatres in early March.

James Marsters will make a guest appearance in The Wedding Band, a new comedy with Brian Austin Green, Harold Perrineau and Melora Hardin that will premiere on TBS in the summer. More details on James-Marsters.eu.

Avan Jogia directed a zombie film in Vancouver over the holidays. Nickutopia has an article and a BTS pic.

Hell on Wheels season finale airs tonight

Hell on Wheels season finale, "God of Chaos," airs tonight at 10 pm on AMC. The show was picked up for a second season last month, so let's hope The Swede survives tonight's episode. Spoiler TV has a sneak peek.

In other AMC news, the network made a couple of interesting announcements at the Winter TCA Press Tour yesterday. One, the episode order for season three of The Walking Dead, with Bear McCreary hopefully staying onboard as composer, has been extended to 16 episodes. Two, season two of The Killing, with Michelle Forbes back as a series regular and Brian Markinson likely recurring again, premieres on April 1.

Synopsis for tonight's Hell on Wheels:

Cullen’s new life on the railroad is put in jeopardy when he is forced to choose between his past and his future.

And since Christopher Heyerdahl isn't in the preview, here are a few clips from the episodes that already aired:

Brian Markinson in The Firm, Grimm preview, Portlandia's BSG episode, and general updates

A few updates to wrap the week.

Let's start with yesterday's episode of The Firm. Brian Markinson made an appearance and if I hadn't trusted the press release (which didn't mention him) over IMDB, I totally would have posted a heads-up. You can watch the episode on NBC.com. It will be available until February 17.

Grimm is back tonight at 9 pm on NBC and Portlandia's BSG ep, "One Moore Episode," with Ron Moore, Edward James Olmos and James Callis, airs at 10 pm on IFC.

Synopsis & teaser for Grimm 1x08, "Game Ogre:"

AN ESCAPED FUGITIVE’S MURDEROUS RAMPAGE LANDS AT NICK’S FRONT DOOR

An escapee returns to Portland seeking revenge against those who put him behind bars. His unusual strength and high tolerance for pain makes Nick (David Giuntoli) take notice. As the case escalates Nick and Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) are put in danger, and Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) is called into action to help put an end to the convict’s deadly rampage. Russell Hornsby, Reggie Lee and Sasha Roiz also star.

Blackstone season two premiere, Arctic Air videos, interviews with Leah Gibson, Christopher Heyerdahl, Patton Oswalt and Bear McCreary

A quick round of updates.

Netflix has finally launched in UK and Ireland and both Caprica and Battlestar are available for streaming. If you know people there who haven't seen the shows, you can nag them to do it now, while Netflix is offering a free month of trials.

Blackstone, with Carmen Moore, returns with the season two opener, "Blood Is Thicker Than Water," tonight on APTN in Canada. The episode should air at 9 pm ET on APTN East, West, and HD, and at 8 pm PT, but check your local listings to be sure.

Carmen Moore was also one of the people who made an appearance in Arctic Air yesterday. If you haven't seen the pilot, check it out. There are more BSG people in the first five minutes of that show than there were in the opening scenes of BSG. And they share scenes and everything.

The Vancouver Sun has some pics from the red carpet premiere. Here is a clip from the set that includes a short interview with Leah Gibson and a bunch of scenes from the pilot:

Arctic Air premieres in Canada, new Bomb Girls tonight & new interviews with Meg Tilly

Arctic Air premieres at 9 pm on CBC tonight. A bunch of Caprica and BSG actors are either regulars or recurring guest stars: Carmen Moore, Michael Hogan, Leah Gibson, Kandyse McClure, Brian Markinson and Aleks Paunovic. There might be more of them as the season progresses.

Here is the plotline, from the show's Facebook page:

ARCTIC AIR is a one-hour adventure series set in the booming Arctic, about a maverick airline and the unconventional family who runs it.

On the ground, Bobby, the headstrong business partner, struggles to save the airline from crashing financially while Mel, the cantankerous co-owner, keeps his crew of pilots in the air. Caught in the crossfire is Mel’s hotshot pilot daughter Krista. (...)

Over the season this character-based drama will deliver hard-hitting emotional stories – from the romantic entanglement of Bobby and Krista, to the conflicts that spark between Bobby and his competitors, his business partners and even his extended family. There’s a new gold rush heating up under the permafrost, and there are new fortunes of diamonds and oil to claim.

The Firm series premiere, Once Upon a Time, and interviews with Tricia Helfer, Callum Keith Rennie and Christopher Heyerdahl

^ In other words, here is what's on TV tonight:

Jane Espenson's new episode of Once Upon a Time, "Desperate Souls," airs at 8 pm on ABC.

Here is the synopsis (previews below):

Regina (Lana Parrilla) and Gold (Robert Carlyle) join forces to thwart Emma's (Jennifer Morrison) attempt to run for sheriff. In the fairy tale world, Rumplestiltskin continues his quest to help his son by finding him the power necessary to avoid war.

At 9 pm, The Firm premieres on NBC. Callum Keith Rennie is a series regular and, from the looks of it, Tricia Helfer makes her first appearance in the pilot, too.

The show was picked up for 22 episodes and, after tonight's premiere, it will air on Thursdays at 10 pm, in Prime Suspect's slot. Meanwhile, the last two episodes of Prime Suspect (with Jonas Pate on the producing team) will be aired back-to-back on Saturday, January 21.

Synopsis for The Firm (two sneak peeks below):

After young lawyer Mitchell McDeere (Josh Lucas, “J. Edgar”) exposed the law firm he worked for was a front for the Chicago mob, he and his family found themselves in the Federal Witness Protection Program. Now, a decade later, McDeere, his wife Abby (Molly Parker, “Deadwood”) and daughter Claire (Natasha Calis, “The Possession”), begin their efforts to reclaim their lives, which proves to be an uphill battle. Also starring Juliette Lewis (“Cape Fear”) and Callum Keith Rennie (“The Killing”). Tricia Helfer (“Battlestar Galactica”) and Shaun Majumder (“Detroit 1-8-7″) guest star.

Blood and Chrome update, cast news and interviews with Michael Nankin, Meg Tilly and Scott Porter

The weekly round-up (with a few additional bits coming tomorrow):

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette talked to Syfy's Mark Stern at the Winter TCA Press Tour and they have an update on Blood and Chrome. Kind of, anyway. Here is what he says (more at the link):

Is the project dead? Read more after the jump. ...

"No not at all," said Syfy original programming president Mark Stern. "We're trying to figure out the economics right now. I love it but we're trying to put various things together to see how we're going to get it made. My hope is we get it figured out." (...)

Stern said the pilot was a good test to prove the technology could be used in series, although he acknowledged it will likely take a year to get the show on air after it's ordered due to the amount of post-production work that will be required on every episode.

Stern wasn't sure how much longer he has the actors under contract but he thinks it's a few months.

"Now that we're back from the holidays I'm just waiting to get some foreign [financial] numbers in because we're both the studio and network on this," he said. "I'm hoping to make a decision [about whether to order it to series] in the next month or so."

On other fronts:

Esai Morales will be back as D.A. Aaron Davidson in the second season of Fairly Legal. The show returns on March 16. USA announced the date last week.

If you missed the 17th Precinct pilot on Vimeo last month, it is now available on YouTube, starting here.

Bomb Girls with Meg Tilly premieres in Canada tonight

Meg Tilly's new show Bomb Girls premieres at 8 pm on Global in Canada tonight.

A few new interviews with her showed up in recent days. First, she was on George Stroumboulopoulos this week. The clip can't be embedded, but you can see the interview on CBC.ca.

MSN Entertainment has an article about the show and Meg's return to acting (yes, Caprica gets a mention, too). Snippet about Bomb Girls:

Lorna is Tilly's character Lorna Corbett, the middle-aged shift matron at Victory Munitions. Married to a crippled WWI vet and with two sons fighting in Europe, Lorna watches over the women of Blue Shift, but her blind patriotism and harsh ways make her an object not only of respect but of fear amongst her young female charges, including the wealthy but naïve Gladys Witham (Jodi Balfour). I ask Tilly how important it was for her that Lorna does not come off as villainous.