Tuesday, June 19 - Today's items include the celebrity lineup being revealed for a new NBC competition series; there's a
Smallville reunion happening on
Beauty and the Beast; Ray Romano is joining another family-oriented series; a
Fringe co-showrunner steps down;
NCIS promotes another recurring star to a series regular; and many more!
- NBC has announced the celebrity hosts and stars who will compete on the upcoming new reality-competition series, Stars Earn Stripes (premiering August 13). The series will be hosted by Entertainment Tonight's Samantha Harris and former presidential candidate, Gen. Wesley Clark. The eight competitors include boxing champion Laila Ali, actor Dean Cain, actor and former NFL player Terry Crews, singer and TV personality Nick Lachey, Alaska businessman Todd Palin, Olympic gold medalist Picabo Street, The Biggest Loser trainer Dolvett Quince, and WWE's Diva Eve Torres.
- Former Smallville showrunners Brian Peterson and Kelly Souders are reuniting with former co-star, Kristin Kreuk, on the upcoming CW drama series, Beauty and the Beast. Peterson and Souders will serve as co-showrunners for the series.
- Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond) has booked a multiple episode guest arc on the upcoming fourth season of NBC's family drama, Parenthood. Romano will play a photographer and former photojournalist who befriends Sarah and complicates her relationship with Mark. Romano will first appear in the season premiere, airing on September 11.
- Rupert Friend (Pride & Prejudice) has joined the second season of Showtime's Homeland as a new series regular. Friend will play Peter Quinn, a button-down CIA analyst who oversees a critical operation on the drama.
- Mark Pellegrino (Lost) will guest star on an upcoming episode in the second season of NBC's Grimm. Pellegrino will play Jarold Kempfer, a high school friend of Hank's whose daughter goes missing. But unbeknownst to Hank, Jarold is also a coyotl (a coyote-like creature).
- Brian Dietzen has been promoted to a series regular for the upcoming tenth season of CBS' NCIS.
- Jeff Pinkler is stepping down as co-showrunner for the upcoming abbreviated fifth season of FOX's Fringe. Pinkler had run the sci-fi series alongside J.H. Wyman, who will be the sole showrunner going forward, since the second season.
