[Televisionary]

Viewers of HBO's Southern Gothic vampire drama True Blood were likely shocked last week when teenage vampire Jessica Hamby nearly walked away with the series when she sauntered languidly into Merlotte's in search of something to crave her hunger, both physically and emotionally. Set to the haunting strain of Marcy Playground's "Sex and Candy," the scene not only brought Jessica to the forefront of the talented ensemble cast but memorably established the flame-haired actress who plays her, Brooklyn-born newcomer Deborah Ann Woll, as a major force to be reckoned with in the acting community. I had the chance to catch up with the incandescent Deborah Ann Woll yesterday, where we talked about what's in store for mischievous teenage vampire Jessica Hamby, her character's star-crossed romance with Jim Parrack's Hoyt Fortenberry, and what's coming up for Jessica on Season Two of True Blood . So get your fangs ready, pour yourself a bottle of B-negative ...

Imagine Greater. Cabler Sci Fi has rebranded itself as Syfy as of 6 am ET this morning and has unveiled a new moniker, new branding, new on-air spots, and a tweaked identity, and a two-minute brand film that showcases the channel's series talent. The changes coincide with the launch this evening of Syfy's newest drama series Warehouse 13 . (An advance review of the two-hour opener can be found here.) "Coming off the most successful year in our 16-year history, we wanted to create a brand film that both celebrates the genre and also feels human, relatable, and wildly creative, highlighting the wide array of casts and character who inhabit Syfy’s ever broadening programming landscape," said Michael Engleman, Vice President, Creative, Syfy. "Through this unique creative collaboration, we’re honoring and embracing a powerful global brand with deep roots in the popular culture." The two-minute brand film, which displays Syfy's new rebranding and identity, al...

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing. Confirmed: Jane Lynch will NOT be reprising her role as ditzy actress Constance Carmell in the second season of Starz's comedy series Party Down due to her involvement on FOX's Glee , where she plays cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester. Cabler Starz was said to have hoped that Lynch's schedule could have accommodated both series but they were unable to make that happen. "It looks like I can't do the second season," said Lynch of "blessed event" Party Down . "So I'm not happy about that all ... but I'm in Glee , so I'm thrilled about that." No word yet on what Party Down producers will do now that Lynch is unavailable; Jennifer Coolidge appeared in two episodes of Season One as Constance's roommate Bobbie St. Brown, likely due to scheduling conflicts. ( Variety ) "Y: The Last Man" creator Brian K. Vaughan won't be returning to the writing staff for the sixth an...

Tomorrow Sci Fi will morph into Syfy, dropping its generic name in favor of a unique term that can be trademarked globally as the channel rolls out its brand to territories around the world. The metamorphosis of the channel--at least in terms of its name--will coincide with the launch of dramedy series Warehouse 13 , which stars Joanne Kelley ( Vanished ), Eddie McClintock ( Bones ), and Saul Rubinek ( Frasier ). Warehouse 13 , executive produced by Jack Kenny and David Simkins, isn't your conventional sci-fi series, but rather a sci-fi-tinged screwball dramedy about two very mismatched Secret Service agents who are forced to work together after they are transferred to a mysterious South Dakota warehouse. Said warehouse houses all manner of dangerous artifacts and powerful items that are best kept under lock and key. Overseen by punctilious caretaker Artie Nielsen (Rubinek), the Warehouse contains an arsenal of arcane objects that could wreak chaos in the wrong hands. It's his ...

While ABC may have canceled The Unusuals , series creator Noah Hawley has signed an blind deal with ABC Studios to write two new series projects for the studio, according to The Hollywood Reporter . "For his encore Hawley is looking to employ some of the storytelling elements he used on Unusuals ," writes Hollywood Reporter 's Nellie Andreeva, "where stories with different characters often intersected in unexpected ways. Also, he plans to continue mixing comedy and drama." With the cat out of the bag, Hawley himself addressed the ABC Studios announcement on his personal website , where he posted an explanation this morning as to why he would go into business with ABC Studios after the network canceled The Unusuals . As for the hopes that The Unusuals might end up on a cable network, Hawley downplayed any chances that the series might continue elsewhere. "While we haven't heard officially from all cable networks, I'd say the lack of a timely respons...

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing. Just a few headlines to go over on the first day back after a long holiday weekend. Lost showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse have promised viewers a definitive ending for Lost when the series wraps its run next year. "We won’t be vague and ambiguous – there will be a lot of answers," promised Lindelof, speaking at a BAFTA event in London. "We feel that if we hold anything back in the final season, it would be bad. Everyone’s come this far and they want a conclusion to the story. We’ve no plans to continue the story of Lost beyond series six. My wife says 'never say never.' I say 'never.'" That final season won't feature time travel elements but will instead feel more like the first season. "There’s a circularity to the show," said Cuse. Just don't look for a happy ending. "Bittersweet comes with the territory," said Lindelof. "The ending we’re aspiring to ...

Televisionary is proud to be a member of the TV Blog Coalition. At the end of each week, we'll feature a roundup of content from our sister sites for your delectation. This week, I proposed that not all culinary-themed television series are created equal, ranking such series as Bravo's Top Chef and Top Chef Masters , BBC America's F Word , Food Network's Chopped , and FOX's Hell's Kitchen in one massive food-related post. I also offered up my thoughts on the latest episode of HBO's True Blood and an advance review of PBS' Miss Marple , recounted Torchwood star John Barrowman feeling "punished" by the BBC for the reduced episode count , reviewed the Secret Diary of a Call Girl: Season Two DVD set , and offered talk backs for FOX's Virtuality and HBO's Hung . All this and news about BBC axing Robin Hood for good , the unlikeness of a big-screen Veronica Mars adaptation , Christian Slater circling ABC drama The Forgotten , Tim Mine...

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing. Hollywood seems more or less shut down already for the Fourth of July weekend, so just a few headlines this morning. The Beeb has confirmed that it will not be bringing back drama series Robin Hood for a fourth season. The series, which starred Jonas Armstrong in the title role, saw its viewership decline to roughly four million viewers during its third (and now final) season (compared to the 8.6 million who tuned in for the series premiere in 2006). For his part, Armstrong had made it clear that the third season would be his last, stating, "It's been a great thrill, a great ride, but you can't play one part forever." ( BBC News ) Hulu has announced plans to launch a UK-based online video service in September and has indicated that it is close to reaching content deals with local broadcasters after offering them equity stakes in the service as well as a share of advertising revenues. Rumors are swirling that Hulu ha...

Looks like that Veronica Mars feature film is probably not happening... I've been on tenterhooks for the last few months about Rob Thomas' plans for a feature film version of his short-lived (and much missed) UPN/CW series Veronica Mars . On the one hand, I'd be the first in line to go back to Neptune and catch up with super-sleuth Veronica, watch her drop some witty bon mots, and solve some crimes, but I wondered whether there really was a massive public interest in, you know, paying to go see Veronica Mars on the big screen. After all, the sensational Kristen Bell-led series was canceled due to low ratings and, as much I adore Veronica Mars , it did work best as a complex, ongoing serialized drama series. It turns out that Warner Bros and executive producer Joel Silver feel more or the same way, according to series star Kristen Bell, who spilled the dish to Entertainment Weekly 's Michael Ausiello at the recent Saturn Awards. "I don't think it will ever ha...

The sunshine might be more intense than ever this summer, but it's also the perfect time to curl up with a good mystery, or four in this case. This weekend, PBS' Masterpiece Mystery launches the first of four fantastic new Miss Marple feature-length mysteries, based on the spinster detective character created by Agatha Christie. Stepping into the role for the first time is the superlative Julia McKenzie ( Cranford ), who replaces Geraldine McEwan as the titular sleuth following McEwan's retirement after the third season of Marple , which airs in the UK on ITV. McKenzie is pitch perfect as the perspicacious Jane Marple; she might look like an elderly spinster but her tweed suits and constant knitting belie the keen mind of a true detective in every sense of the word. The four installments presented here--"A Pocket Full of Rye," "Murder is Easy," "They Do It With Mirrors," and "Why Didn't They Ask Evans?"--might seem like tea cozy...

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing. Christian Slater ( My Own Worst Enemy ) is in talks to topline ABC drama series The Forgotten , from Warner Bros. Television and executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer. If the deal closes, Slater would replace Rupert Penry-Jones, who appeared in the original pilot episode as a former cop whose daughter was kidnapped and went missing. Another role--that played in the pilot by Reiko Aylesworth--is also being recast. The series is set to launch Tuesday, September 22nd at 10 pm. ( Hollywood Reporter ) Don't look for the series finale of Lost to feature a happy ending, according to series regular Michael Emerson. "I don't think Lost will have a happy ending," Emerson told Entertainment Weekly 's Michael Ausiello. "It's the end and I think we are going to start seeing more casualties. I would put money on major characters being killed. I believe it will be a sad ending to the show -- or at least bittersweet. ...

Now is a very good time to be a television-loving foodie, with several networks other than stalwarts Food Network or PBS devoting air time to culinary-themed programming. In fact, it's safe to say that cuisine as a whole has entered the general zeitgeist in a way that it couldn't really have done before the public's embrace of reality programming. But there's a rather large caveat: not all food programming is equal. While television offers a bountiful cornucopia of culinary series, there's still a large difference in the quality of these programs, not to mention a staggering range of subjects being covered. There are docusoaps that focus on cake-makers, competition series pitting chefs against each other, old fashioned cook-offs, food-focused travel series, and product spotlights. While I'd never be able to offer up a comprehensive discussion of all of these series (they are too numerous to even contemplate as a whole), I thought I'd take a look at a few mem...