Miss any of the news that came from Comic-Con? TVHackr has compiled every trailer (featuring new footage) and news item that was released during 2013 San Diego Comic-Con, which came to an end yesterday. The post doesn’t include special panel videos, the panels themselves, series highlight reels, or trailers that have already been posted.

There will be two additional new faces joining Arrow this season, as Kevin Alejandro (True Blood) and Michael Jai White (Black Dynamite) are set to play vengeful alderman Sebastian Blood (aka Brother Blood) and Ben Taylor, a claw-wielding assassin otherwise known as the Bronze Tiger, respectively. The latter will also be forming an alliance with China White.

-Amy Acker (Angel) has been promoted to a series regular on Person of Interest, where she’s portrayed Machiavellian cyber-hacker Root in seven episodes. There’ll also be an opportunity for fans to join in the series with the Person of Interest Social Photo Opportunity, which will give the show’s fans on Facebook the ability to submit photos for a chance to become a “person of interest” at some point during season three. Information will be released in the coming weeks on the Person of Interest Facebook page.

-AMC has announced that Talking Dead host Chris Hardwick will be anchoring Talking Bad, its recently announced Breaking Bad aftershow that will air every Sunday at 11:00 beginning August 11th. Like Dead, Talking Bad features Hardwick recapping that night’s Breaking Bad episode, taking questions and comments from viewers, and interviewing those associated with the show (actors, producers) and TV experts alike. The final eight episodes of Breaking Bad will premiere earlier that night at 9:00.

-A balloon of Finn and Jake from Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time will fly in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 28th. It marks the first time the Emmy nominated animated series will be featured.

–Per TVLine, Supernatural executive producer Bob Singer confirmed that a spin-off of the show is in the works. Reportedly to be centered on a new character via a backdoor pilot later in the season, the series is said to be more “citified” than its mothership. The ninth season of Supernatural is set to premiere Tuesday, October 15th at 9:00.

–Revolution has added Stephen Collins (7th Heaven) to its cast for the second season. The veteran actor will be playing Rachel’s father, according to TV Guide.

-A Simpsons/Family Guy crossover will be airing in the fall of 2014, according to FOX. “The Simpsons Guy” finds the Griffins ending up in Springfield and being fully embraced by the Simpson family. Also in Family Guy news, the show is having a contest for those who think they have the best Stewie Griffin impression around. Fans can send in their best Stewie on the I am Stewie section of FamilyGuy.com, with the winner (selected by producers) having their voice featured in the upcoming season premiere and earning a three-day/two-night trip for two to attend Family Guy Live at the Just4Laughs Festival in Toronto, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2013.

-As reported by Entertainment Weekly, guest stars for the upcoming season of Family Guy include Peter Dinklage, Liam Neeson, Dennis Farina, Ashton Kutcher, Conan O’Brien, Bryan Cranston, Jeff Daniels, Jon Cryer, and Adam Levine, while American Dad will be seeing the likes of Mariah Carey, Ellie Kemper, Zooey Deschanel, Mark Cuban, Stanley Tucci, Olivia Wilde, Alison Brie, Sinbad, Mae Whitman, T.J. Miller, Alan Thicke, and Pete Holmes.

–Once Upon a Time in Wonderland has cast Lost alum Naveen Andrews as Jafar, the evil Royal Vizier of Agrabah first seen in Aladdin, according to TV Guide.

-USA has revealed the winner of the Psych fan-voted storyline contest. The network gave the show’s fanbase the chance to decide on a storyline for an upcoming season eight episode and the winner turned out to be “A Nightmare on State Street,” an episode that will feature Gus in dream therapy to understand the cause of his recent night terrors. Also announced was a two-hour musical episode, set to air Sunday, December 15th; Gus and Shawn will have to track down a playwright deemed criminally insane and eventually get led back to someone from Shawn’s past.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZzM3UHUxLo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqjT1_r8oeU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CPjjx4uPO8

The post Comic-Con News and Trailers: Once Upon a Time, Arrow, Bones, Family Guy, and More appeared first on TVHackr.

This week on TVHackr, we talked about The White Queen’s first official trailer, the second episode of The Fosters, and casting news from History’s Vikings. Meanwhile, the internet revisited an infamous game show episode, extoled the rise of subversive genre programming, and took a look at the state of 3-D television.

Defiance 1.08 Preview: Nolan Discovers an Astronaut
Nolan and Tommy discover an astronaut from the year 2013 who had been in hypersleep during the Pale Wars, but is his presence in Defiance a danger to the residents of the town?

Showtime: Ray Donovan and Masters of Sex Teasers
The network released first looks at Ray Donovan, about a Los Angeles fixer whose father gets paroled early, and Masters of Sex, starring Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan as human sexuality researchers.

2013 TCA Nominations Announced
The Americans and Breaking Bad led the way with four nominations each, while the likes of Monica Potter, Tatiana Maslany, and Vera Farmiga were honored in the Individual categories.

The White Queen Trailer: You Will Know Loss
Coming to Starz in August, The White Queen centers on three women vying for the throne of England before the Tudor dynasty took over.

The Fosters Recap: Do You Believe Me Now?
On the second episode of The Fosters, Mike and Lena clash once more, Talya gets jealous of Brandon and Callie, and the Fosters figure out how Callie and Jude will be fitting into their lives.

2013 Critics’ Choice Television Award Winners Announced
Among the winners were The Big Bang Theory, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, Tatiana Maslany, Bryan Cranston, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Louis C.K.

Vikings: Alexander Ludwig and Linus Roache Join Season 2
The second season of Vikings will find Ludwig playing Ragnar’s son and Roache portraying a potential ally to the Earl.

A Chat with Allie Gonino About The Lying Game, Future Plans
TVHackr made the trek to Austin for the ATX Television Festival and while there we talked with Allie Gonino about the fate of her ABC Family mystery.

Web Therapy Season 3 Teaser: The Return of Dr. Fiona Wallice
Who will be guest starring on Web Therapy this season? Find out the names (and reasons they’re contacting Fiona) here.

News Roundup: Miguel Gomez Joins Guillermo del Toro’s The Strain
Gomez joins House of Cards actor Corey Stoll in signing on for the thriller, which is based on a trilogy of novels penned by del Toro. He’s set to play a gang-banger fresh from juvenile hall.

Twisted 1.02 Sneak Peeks: Jo Struggles with Her Feelings for Danny
Next time on Twisted, Jo doesn’t know how to react to Danny being around, while Lacey struggles with how her peers are treating Regina’s death.

Portlandia Renewed for Two Additional Seasons by IFC
The Peabody-winning series will return for a fourth and fifth season, with both scheduled to include 10 episodes.

MTV: Awkward. Midseason Trailer; Zach Stone Scheduling Changes
While MTV released the fall trailer for Awkward. this week, it all but confirmed the cancellation of Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous, which has been shifted to 11:00 for the remainder of its season.

Sleepy Hollow, Bob’s Burgers Among FOX Shows Heading to Comic-Con
Twentieth Century confirmed the 11 shows it will be sending to Comic-Con in July, including Sleepy Hollow, Bones, and How I Met Your Mother.

The Fosters 1.03 Sneak Peeks: Should Brandon Move In with Mike?
Next time on The Fosters, Callie digs into her dark past and Jesus continues to see Lexi, even though they both know they shouldn’t keep dating.

HBO Renews VICE for Season 2
HBO has ordered another 14 episodes of acclaimed newsmagazine VICE, which currently airs Fridays at 11:00.

Magic City Season 2 Premiere Sneak Peeks: Vera Finds Out About Meg
Check out three sneak peeks at the second season premiere of Starz’s period drama Magic City, as well as a recap of the first season to refresh your memory.

Mistresses 1.03 Preview: Tensions Arise Between Savi and Dom
Next time on Mistresses, Savi and Dom aren’t sure how to be around one another after their night together, Karen can’t stay away from Sam Grey, and Joss’s new boss isn’t impressed with her.

Hit the Floor 1.04 Sneak Peek: Ahsha’s Uncomfortable Wearing a Bikini
Next time on Hit the Floor, Ahsha is faced with wearing something revealing during a calendar shoot, while Olivia looks into the whereabouts of Mia and Jelena sets her next plan into motion.

Nurse Jackie: Eve Best Not Returning for Season 6
Dr. O’Hara will be in London for at least one more season, as Eve Best will not return for the sixth season of the Showtime dramedy.

Magic City: Watch the Season 2 Premiere Here
Starz has released the second season premiere of Magic City ahead of its television debut.

Starz Greenlights Hour-Long Drama Power
The series, created by The Good Wife‘s Courtney Kemp Agboh, follows a wealthy nightclub owner who has a secret life as a drug kingpin.

Around the web:
The 10 Best TV Shows You (Probably) Didn’t Watch This Season (Vulture)
Need something new to watch during the summer? Want to impress your friends with your vast knowledge of semi-obscure television? Vulture has you covered.

Gillian Anderson, The Fall And The Rise Of Subversive Genre Fare (The Huffington Post)
The Huffington Post looks at the latest trend to hit television: “B-Movie TV.”

When an unemployed ice-cream-truck driver whammied Press Your Luck (The A.V. Club)
What happens when a game show contestant has watched the show enough to know how to beat the system? Reminisce with The A.V. Club.

With ESPN out, is 3-D TV dead? (CNN)
Now that ESPN has pulled the plug on ESPN 3D, what’s the future of 3-D television? CNN examines the ramifications of the move.

How To Introduce Kids To Tough Topics? Art And TV Can Help (NPR)
NPR looks at the importance that television can play in introducing difficult topics to children and making them palatable.

The Way We Watch Television: Sherlock By the Numbers (PopMatters)
PopMatters parses the viewing numbers of BBC’s Sherlock, including who the fans of the show are and how they watch.

Summer TV Bad Boys: 8 Dark Characters to Watch Out For (Cinema Blend)
There are going to be several quality antagonists/anti-heroes on television this summer. Cinema Blend brings you eight of them.

The post The Week in Television Wrap June 8-14 appeared first on TVHackr.

The recasting of Bjorn suggests that the second season of Vikings will begin with a major leap in time, as Ludwig is six years older than Nathan O’Toole, who played Bjorn during the first season. How much of a time jump remains to be seen, though, especially considering Aslaug’s pregnancy and just how much they want to detail the fall of Ragnar’s marriage to Lagertha. The first season of the show focused heavily on the Earl rising from a simple farmer to be the leader of his people and a time jump will likely find him making bigger and better connections to the outside world, hence Roache’s casting as the King of Wessex. Ecbert may not be the apex of Ragnar’s time as an Earl, but the more alliances he makes, the closer he gets to becoming the leader he always wanted to be. But considering his personal dramas and the fact that Rollo has been plotting against him for quite some time, is Ragnar ready to make the leap and become a truly great Earl?

The role will be Ludwig’s first venture into scripted series television after appearing in films like Race to Witch Mountain and The Seeker: The Dark is Rising; meanwhile, Roache has had roles on the likes of Kidnapped, Law & Order, and Coronation Street.

Will you be watching Vikings next season? Are you in favor of the time jump idea after the events of the season finale? How will Ragnar’s relationships with Princess Aslaug and Lagertha evolve during the second season?

The post Vikings: Alexander Ludwig and Linus Roache Join Season 2 appeared first on TVHackr.

According to the press release from History, a member of the A&E Networks Family:

HISTORY has picked up VIKINGS, its first scripted drama series for a 10-episode second season, it was announced today by Dirk Hoogstra, EVP, Development and Programming for HISTORY. Created and written by Michael Hirst, the renewal comes just five episodes into the VIKINGS freshman season. Four new episodes remain in the current season airing Sundays at 10 p.m. with the season finale slated for Sunday, April 28 at 10 p.m.

VIKINGS continues to be the #1 new cable series in 2013 and has propelled HISTORY to #1 in cable in its Sunday 10-11 p.m. time period. Over the five weeks, the hit drama series averaged 5.0 million total viewers, 2.2 million Adults 25-54 and 1.9 Adults 18-49. This past Sunday, episode five delivered 4.7 million total viewers, 2.2 million Adults 25-54 and 1.7 million Adults 18-49. This was up 4% among total viewers and up 5% among Adults 25-54 from last week.

“Vikings is a win win for us. As our first scripted series, VIKINGS has paid off in a big way with critical acclaim, strong ratings and a passionate, loyal fan base. It came out of the gate strong and has stayed on top, solidifying HISTORY as a major player in the scripted genre, just as we are in reality,” said Hoogstra. “We could not be more proud of the entire cast and crew and everyone involved in the making of VIKINGS. Michael Hirst has captured audiences with his complex, compelling characters and brought the unknown, epic world of these warriors to life. Season Two will begin production this summer to air in 2014.”

VIKINGS, airing Sundays at 10 p.m. ET, tells the extraordinary tales of the lives and epic adventures of these warriors. The drama portrays the world of these Dark Age raiders, traders, explorers – not from an outsider’s view, but, through the eyes of Viking society.

While VIKINGS is filled with conflict, warfare and bloodshed – for these were extreme times – it is a family saga at heart. It follows the adventures of Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel, The Beast, Baytown Outlaws), a curious, compelling man who is always looking to break through barriers and discover new worlds to conquer. Ragnar is deeply frustrated by the unadventurous policies of his local chieftain, Earl Haraldson (Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment, Usual Suspects, Millers Crossing), who continues to send his Vikings raiders east every summer, to the Baltic states and Russia, whose populations are as materially poor as themselves.

Joining Fimmel and Byrne are Katheryn Winnick (Bones, Love and Other Drugs, The Black Marks) as Lagertha, a fierce shield maiden and Ragnar’s wife;Jessalyn Gilsig (Glee, Heroes, Nip/Tuck, Friday Night Lights) as Siggy, Earl Haraldson’s beautiful wife; George Blagden (Les Miserables, Wrath of the Titans) as Athelstan, a young, innocent Christian monk captured by Ragnar on his first raid on England, Clive Standen (Camelot, Robin Hood) as Rollo, Ragnar’s impulsive, wild, care-free brother and Gustaf Skarsgard (The Way Back) a ship builder who designs the new generation of Vikings ships.

Created and written by Michael Hirst – one of the premier historical story-tellers in the industry (Academy-Award winning film Elizabeth; and the Emmy and Golden Globe nominated series The Tudors), Michael serves as Executive Producer along with Morgan O’Sullivan of World 2000 (The Count of Monte Cristo; The Tudors),John Weber of Take 5 Productions (The Tudors; The Borgias), Sherry Marsh, Alan Gasmer, James Flynn (The Tudors; The Borgias) and Sheila Hockin (The Tudors; The Borgias). Dirk Hoogstra and Julian P. Hobbs are the Executives in Charge of Production for HISTORY.

Standouts for me have been, without a doubt Katheryn Winnick as Lagertha, a woman who not only stands by her man in life, but in love and in battle, Clive Standen as Rollo, stuck behind his brother’s never-ending smirk with a desperate need and desire become his own man without the ties to Ragnar and George Blagden as Athelstan who, when he hit the family as the sole Christian, brought into their world a completely new way of looking at things. Their characters are simply amazing and unlike any I’ve seen in series before, even the current king of historical (if sci-fi) fiction, Game of Thrones.

That’s what also sets Vikings apart. This is a story based on history. These characters could have been as real as you and me, and yet seem to far from our world that they might as well be from another world altogether. If you haven’t caught up on Vikings, History has made it easy for you. You can catch the episodes you’ve missed HERE and when to catch episodes on television HERE. Why waste a minute more of your time when you know it’s been renewed for a second season?

The post HISTORY® Orders 2nd Season of Hit Scripted Series Vikings appeared first on TVHackr.

Although the launch of the fall season is where the networks trot out their biggest and brightest ideas in search of the almighty (advertising) dollar and the increasingly illusive live viewer, midseason has become the preferable time of the TV season in recent years. With premieres being staggered throughout the early months of the new year and several shows each year penciled in as future network staples, it’s a much less overwhelming time for the TV fan and a way for each of the big four to focus on continuing their momentum or righting the ship after a weak fall. While the biggest recent breakout hits have all debuted during fall and instantly secured their place on the schedule, midseason has provided several key players that are just as, if not more, important to their respective homes.

In the coming months, there will be countless new shows from networks of all shapes and hues vying for attention in a crowded landscape. Rather than trying to highlight every promising offering throughout television, of which there are many, I selected five shows that I’m anticipating, either for what they could do creatively or for what they might be able to do for their network.

The Carrie Diaries (The CW)
Premiere Date: Monday, January 14th
Who’s in it: AnnaSophia Robb, Austin Butler, Matt Letscher, Ellen Wong, and Katie Findlay
Central Premise: pre-Sex Carrie Bradsaw. Also, the ’80’s!
Why I’m Excited: The CW recently said goodbye to Gossip Girl and it looks like they’re turning to Carrie Bradshaw to give them their next breakout hit soap. The Carrie Diaries, based on the book of the same title, is a prequel to Sex and the City and follows the title character as a teenager growing up in Connecticut in the ’80’s. Following the death of her mother, she gets an internship in the city at a law office, but after a chance encounter at a department store, her life will never be the same again – for the better. It should be interesting to see how well star AnnaSophia Robb channels the iconic New York fashionista’s early years and how much of the Sex Carrie is visible during The Carrie Diaries; if the show manages to find an audience, we might get the chance to explore aspects of the character that didn’t even the most ardent Sex fan didn’t know about.

Red Widow (ABC)
Premiere Date: Sunday, March 3rd
Who’s in it: Radha Mitchell, Goran Visnjic, Lee Tergesen, Clifton Collins Jr., and Jaime Ray Newman
Central Premise: Mob Revenge.
Why I’m Excited: 666 Park Avenue didn’t work out for ABC earlier this season, so there’ll be a new lead-out for their Sunday night line-up in Red Widow. An adaptation of Dutch series Penoza, Red Widow follows mob wife Marta as she infiltrates the organization that killed her husband looking for revenge. Makes sense that it follows Revenge, then, right? On the back of an expectantly huge Oscar ad campaign, the likes of which gave Scandal the ratings for renewal last season, the show looks to fuse the near-constant cultural fascination with all things mafioso (The Godfather, The Sopranos, Mob Wives) and the buzz from Revenge in order to become the next big ABC drama. However, it might turn out to be too much revenge for one night of programming.

Vikings (History)
Premiere Date: Sunday, March 3rd
Who’s in it: Travis Fimmel, Gabriel Byrne, Jessalyn Gilsig, Clive Standen, and Katheryn Winnick
Central Premise: A restless young warrior seeks life beyond what he knows.
Why I’m Excited: Television has seen period pieces ranging from ancient Rome to an advertising agency in the 1960’s, but there’s yet to be a series based on vikings or taking place in the time period they reigned supreme. That all changes with History’s first attempt at scripted programming following the raging success of Hatfields & McCoys, Vikings. From Michael Hirst (creator of The Tudors, producer of The Borgias), the show follows young warrior Ragnar as he attempts to explore places no one in his tribe has had the courage to go and fulfill his potential as a person and as a warrior. The TV landscape has expanded in recent years, with countless networks finding their niche in scripted shows, and if Vikings manages to succeed, it may cement the History Channel as a network to look out for.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TrAGIcfKX8

The Americans (FX)
Premiere Date: Wednesday, January 30th
Who’s in it: Matthew Rhys, Keri Russell, Noah Emmerich, Keidrich Sellati, and Holly Taylor
Central Premise: Sleeper agents in love.
Why I’m Excited: FX attempts to capture a little Homeland magic with The Americans, an espionage period piece set in the early ’80’s and centering on an arranged marriage between two KGB sleeper agents. While they have to complete missions and keep their true identities under wraps, especially from the FBI agent living next door, the two begin to genuinely fall for one another and contemplate whether or not they want to remain in their current profession. In addition to featuring the return of Keri Russell to dramatic television, The Americans welcomes Emmy winner (and FX alum) Margo Martindale to the fold for at least eight episodes, a coup for a show that is likely to bring the paranoid tension and complicated emotion in spades.

Enlightened (HBO)
Premiere Date: Sunday, January 13th
Who’s in it: Laura Dern, Mike White, Luke Wilson, Diane Ladd, and Timm Sharp
Central Premise: A former corporate  buyer fighting back against her employer.
Why I’m Excited: One of my favorite shows of 2011, Enlightened returns from a year-long hiatus with a new direction, intriguing guest stars (Dermot Mulroney and Molly Shannon), and a time slot that could gain it the audience it lacked during season one. Amy’s cause, bringing down Abaddonn for the environmental crimes they committed in the name of profit, is gaining steam and now that she has multiple people on her team, she might be able to become the agent of change she desires to be. However, the company won’t exactly acquiesce to her demands that easily and with the possibility of love clouding her once crystal clear focus on social justice, Amy will have to be mindful of the pushback that will come before any progress gets made.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIrvjTefw0g

The post 5 Midseason 2013 Shows I’m Anticipating appeared first on TVHackr.