New couple alert: Ashley Benson and Tyler Blackburn

Posted in Celebrity, Television by nlcorner

Ashley Benson aka Hanna Marin from the ABC show Pretty Little Liars was seen cosying up to her on-screen boyfriend Tyler Blackburn aka Caleb Rivers, at Coachella this weekend fuelling rumours that the two are now an item.

She posted a picture of the two of them on Twitter the other day with the caption “my boo”, but I totally glossed over it! And now after pictures appeared on Zimbio of Tyler kissing Ashley I’m hoping that this on-screen duo have moved into an off-screen relationship because that would just be darn cute.

Tyler is so much hotter and much more sane than that tool James Franco who Ashley was supposed to be humping after the two hit it off whilst filming and promoting their movie Spring Breakers, but according to Ash it looks like this is just a rumour but there’s still hope!

Ashley Benson and Tyler Blackburn at Coachella 2013

(AshBenzo Instagram)

5Apr2013

US Television: Spot the Hollyoaks cast

Posted in Celebrity, Television by nlcorner

It turns out that Hollyoaks is the perfect launch pad for someone wanting to succeed in America, specifically Amercan television.

I love playing the game ‘spot the Hollyoaks cast’ because it is too fun remembering who they played on the Channel 4 soap.

First up Roxanne McKee aka Louise Summers:

Roxanne McKee in Game of Thrones

Roxanne joined the cast of Hollyoaks after an open casting call back in 2005, forgive me if I can’t remember all of her storylines but she was involved in a fair few major ones including getting married to bad boy Warren (Jamie Lomas) and him killing her on their wedding day.

I’m pretty sure that I’m not alone when I say she wasn’t the best actress, but apparently she has a great American agent who managed to land her a role as Doreah in season one of the super popular Game of Thrones on HBO. She starred as a handmaiden to Daenerys Targaryen, after she was married off to Khal Drogo. She has appeared in several episodes, and although not yet to appear in season three of GoT I don’t think she’s been killed off just yet.

Next up Barry Sloane aka killer Niall Rafferty:

Barry Sloane as Aiden Mathis in Revenge

I have to admit Niall Rafferty was a great character, I suppose mysterious killers in soapland always are. He joined Hollyoaks in 2007 and was found out to be the secret – and abandoned – son of Myra McQueen, he definitely had some anger issues and ended up kidnapping the whole family and blowing up a church killing Tina McQueen. He was even inadvertantly responsible for killing stalwart of the show Max Cunningham, which was so sad (at the time).

Now Barry Sloane can be seen starring in a recurring role on ABC’s Revenge as Aiden Mathis. He knows Emily’s secret and was with her when she trained with Takaeda her revenge master, she helped him find his sister and he is helping her in her quest for revenge against those who put her father on the path to being murdered. Definitely the most successful out of this lot, and he better not be getting killed off Revenge anytime soon I love my weekly dose of Bazza!

Finally Nathalie Emmanuel aka Sasha Valentine:

Nathalie Emmanuel in Game of Thrones

Now do we think Roxanne McKee put in a good word for Nathalie Emmanuel? As the first episode of the new season of Game of Thrones saw Daenerys Targaryen barter for some kind of crazy soldiers call the Unsullied that happen to feel no pain to build up her army, Nathalie Emmanuel plays the translator for the slave trader.

Nathalie Emmanuel was cast as Sasha Valentine and appeared in the soap back in 2006, alongside the ever handsome Ricky Whittle (who just so happens to be trying to crack America, shame your TV sister and a TV killer beat you to it) playing her brother Calvin Valentine. She had plenty of storylines, all along the lines of tried drugs, became a heroin addict, became a prostitute, slept with the aforementioned Warren, and I can’t remember what happened but I think her contract just ended and she left the show.

Just announced, Emma Rigby as The Red Queen in Once Upon a Time In Wonderland, aka Hannah Ashworth

Emma Rigby has joined the cast of new ABC show Once Upon a Time in Wonderland

Emma Rigby joined Hollyoaks back in 2005 and left the soap after five years. Her most recognisable storyline was that of her suffering from an eating disorder triggered by the break down of her relationship with the gay character John Paul McQueen. It was powerful stuff for a soap and the death of one of Hannah Ashworth’s friends directly linked to anorexia was a first for any British soap. As well as suffering through the death-by-parachute of Sarah Barnes and her half-sister Beth Clement who was having an incestual relationship with her brother Rhys, she also had a relationship with Justin Barton who rescued her from a fire that killed Warren.

Emma will hopefully be on screen later this year playing the Red Queen in the new spinoff show Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. The show will centre on Wonderland pre-curse and post-curse that has been played out in original drama Once Upon a Time. The cast will be filming a teaser and pilot after OUaT wraps up its current series, set to revolve around Alice (played by Sophie Lowe) who ‘has a big heart but carries the scars of a long hard life’ we will see Emma playing the Red Queen who is known to cut off people’s heads.

25Apr2012

IMPORTANT NEWS Possible Dawson’s Creek Reunion

Posted in Diane and Josh, Television by nlcorner

It seems like the noughties are the decade for reunions, how many bands, television shows and movies have we seen re-cast, reboot, re-done? Plenty.

The most important news is how possibly close we are to some for of Dawson’s Creek reunion. According to an article on Zimbio.com the ever lovely (and clearly most successful and famous) Michelle Williams commented once again on how she would love a DC reunion! Yes she may have been saying this in jest, but for SUPER fans like myself I will take anything they give me and create a whole fantasy in my brain, so Jen goes: “I’ve always said, I’m totally up for reunion tours, reunion shows, so we can do that.”.

But of course you know and I know that Williams’ character Jen died in the very last episode, oh how many tears I have shed, so how could it be possible she would be part of reunion cast? Williams’ suggests coming back as a ghost! Genius.

Then we need the rest of them you say? Obviously the next most important cast member is… Joshua Jackson. He spoke to E!’s Marc Malkin recently and said he would totally welcome a gig on James Van Der Beek’s awesome new show Don’t Trust The B—– in Apartment 23. That’s close enough, but WE WANT PACEY.

Van Der Beek is currently starring in the new show on ABC as a heightened version of himself, cue plenty of DC gags and Paula Cole’s soundtrack song “I don’t want to wait” as background music. Very funny. He also has his own Van Der Memes website which you absolutely must check out because it is simply hilarious. He said he finds it amusing when Williams’ says she wants in on a reunion because her character’s dead but also said, “If somebody came up with a brilliant idea how to do it, why not?” One step closer…

Just ~~the hostage~~ Joey to recover now. Katie Holmes has openly admitted that she would welcome a reunion for the hit WB show, ”I had so much fun working on that show and I loved everyone so much and I think about it with such fond memories, a really great group of people”. That was back in 2011 on Good Morning America when she was allowed out to promote something by her ~~kidnapper~~ husband Tom Cruise.

So all in all there is a HUGE possibility this could really happen. Dawson’s Creek could return to our airwaves, but for now I will hold out for a Pacey guest star on Van Der Beek’s new show because that would be fantastic television.

Don’t Trust the B—– in Apartment 23 will air on E4 this summer in the UK… Don’t miss it!

7Sep2011

It’s September already?

Posted in Gossip Girl, Life, Lists, Mystery, Style, Television by nlcorner

Those are the words falling miserably out of mouths up and down the country, and really we shouldn’t be surprised. It happens nearly every year, we sit on the edges of our seats waiting for that moment when the sun will burst through the seemingly never ending run of clouds so we can spend more than a mere minute outside with our loving friend vitamin D.

It never happens and September rolls around with us feeling even more glum than the beginning of the year when we promised we’d give up that thing we LOVE to make us lose weight or to pretend we feel better about ourselves (just remember that time is coming again soon, 17 weeks, don’t hate on me for pointing this out I loathe that time of the year).

BUT, what comes with September, is the start of the television season. You may think I’m crazy but autumn (or fall) is when the country is supposed to retire in front of the box snuggled up on the couch with no sun to distract them, no more balmy evenings but cold and rain to keep them inside to watch the latest offerings on the tele.

And as I’ve mentioned countless times before US television is what matters, although as the cold months draw in UK television is good, one show I’m looking forward to is the Body Farm a spinoff from the very greatly missed Waking the Dead. And all the other thriller, killer drama’s that appear lovingly on my screen.

Every year there are double the amount of programmes on US tv, brand new shows competing with veteran shows, those that win over audiences are the successors some with devoted fans prevail others never last beyond their second or third episode after when viewing figures fail to ignite.

I happen to have a tough schedule this year, with 30* shows currently on my timetable I don’t know how I’m going to manage. My fellow US tv lover has 40, and has just discovered the wonders of a livestreaming channel, and the joy of no sleep whilst watching The Lying Game at 2am in the morning (I do not have the fortune of being able to stay awake until 2am I have to rise at 7am to get ready for work, he currently works from home on his own hours).

Here’s a run down of my list, what I will without a doubt not be missing, what I will be giving a try, and what I think will fall at the first hurdle even though it has made it to my list.

Wouldn’t miss if my life depended on it:

Fringe (Fox) – my love of Josh Jackson would never waver (I love you Pacey).
Supernatural (CW) – J-squared always have a place in my heart.
Vampire Diaries (CW) – Ian Somerhalder, those eyes, that body (Sorry you always play a dead guy).

Must-watch:

Gossip Girl (CW)
Nikita (CW)
Family Guy
Dexter (Showtime)
America’s Next Top Model (CW)
Glee (Fox)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
Desperate Housewives (ABC) – this is the final series (thank god).
One Tree Hill (CW) – just getting back into this show after ditching it when Lucas and Peyton did…

New picks:

Apartment 23 (Fox) - it has James van der Beek in it, as himself. Nuff said.
Hart of Dixie (CW) - Summer is back, sorry Rachel Bilson.
New Girl (Fox) - I love Zooey Deschanel.
Ringer (CW)- Sarah Michelle Gellar on my screen again, and with a really great show.
The Secret Circle (CW) - From the same author of Vampire Diaries LJ Smith, and the man behind both tv shows Kevin Williamson (Dawson’s Creek, Scream)
*Terra Nova (Fox) – Forgot that this finally had an air date after being pushed back a few times, big CGI production, dinasours and produced by The Speilberg, I have to give it a try at least. (Sounds a little Primeval)
*2 Broke Girls (CBS) – I missed this when making the list, noticed it had Kat Dennings starring who I LOVED in Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist.
*Pan Am – I don’t know why I forgot to put this show on the list, an original series following the Mad Men lead it’s set in the “Jet Age”. My only worry is I’ve never watched Mad Men because it didn’t appeal to me so I may lose interest…
Revenge (ABC) – the lead returns to the town she grew up in but noone recognises her… no big names. (REALLY GOOD)
The Ringer

Could fall at the first hurdle:

Alcatraz (Fox) - only thing attracting me to this show its from the creators of Lost and has Hurley in it.
Charlie’s Angels 2011 (ABC) - I loved the originals, the movies were ho-hum, I’m not sure the gloss and glamour will work in the noughties without making it tacky but I am prepared to be swayed. AWFUL
Grimm (NBC) - great idea but is it strong enough to hold up for more than one season when there’s already a show like Supernatural that covers the ‘grimm’ aspects. A possible replacement if SN finishes after season 7?
Once Upon a Time (ABC) - same idea using fairytales, but the look of the show could be a let down.
Revenge (ABC) – the lead returns to the town she grew up in but noone recognises her… no big names.
The Finder (Fox) – this is a latecomer to my list so I’ll be applying last to join first to go if it fails to impress me.
Awake (NBC) - another one that I could let go, I just like the premise of living a life while you dream.

On hiatus:

Falling Skies (TNT)
Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family)
Teen Wolf (MTV)
True Blood (HBO)

If there are any other shows that you will be watching that I haven’t listed and think it would fit into my schedule then let me know. I like having US tv buddies, discussing the ins and outs of the shows are much fun and can make you go crazy (PLL ha).

*Most recent additions