James Van Der Beek Is Back
Today in show business news: James Van Der Beek is returning to TV already, Jane Lynch is now a game show host, and a first look at Catching Fire.
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Everyone, literally everyone, was worried about James Van Der Beek when his show Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 was canceled last month. What would he do? Where would he go? What would he eat? Well, worry no more, everyone. Van Der Beek has gone and booked himself another show. Well, a pilot at least. He's joined the cast of the CBS pilot Friends With Better Lives, a bluntly named multicamera sitcom about "six 30-something friends who each think the other has it better." So it's Friends meets Seinfeld. Van Der Beek will be playing "Will, a sarcastic gynecologist who expects the absolute worst from everyone after his (soon-to-be) ex-wife’s infidelity." A sarcastic gynecologist. "Judy, my gynecologist just dropped my insurance so I need a new one. How's yours?" "Sarcastic." Strange way to describe a gynecologist. Anyway, good for the Beeks. And he doesn't even have to play himself! He's playing an actual character! A sarcastic gynecologist. Also like Friends and Seinfeld, this evidently takes place in the '90s. [Deadline]
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Jane Lynch has been made the host of NBC's upcoming celebrity game show, Hollywood Game Night, created by Sean Hayes. Why not just call it Celebrity Game Show? Oh well. The point is, the show features celebrities mingling with regular people and playing games in "a cocktail party atmosphere." It sounds kind of strange, doesn't it? Like Dinner for Five but with regular people and games? The funniest thing about the show is this: "Based on Hayes' real-life 'game nights...'" Hahaha, what? Why does it have to be based on something? And why are they Sean Hayes's game nights? Aren't everyone's game nights mostly the same? I guess Sean Hayes's game nights probably do have a mix of celebrities and non-celebrities, but so do plenty of celebrities' game nights. I don't get it. Oh well. I don't have to get it. Jane Lynch has to get it, that's all. [The Hollywood Reporter]
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Even more pilot news! Sweet/sad Melanie Lynskey has been cast on an HBO pilot called Togetherness. It's basically just a relationship comedy, but probably of the wistful HBO variety. Lynskey will play a sad housewife and mom who wants more for her life. So... A role she's played before, but that's OK. It's HBO! That's fancy. [Entertainment Weekly]
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The great and wonderful Margo Martindale has been cast in a pilot, the one from Greg Garcia starring Will Arnett. She'll play Arnett's mom, "a vibrant but meddlesome and slightly controlling character who has to have her finger in every pie." So that sounds kind of interesting? I mean, it'd be nice to have her bite into something a little meatier, but what can you do. That's Hollywood game night for ya. Speaking of? Buried in that item is the news that Mira Sorvino, Oscar winner, will be playing Jim Gaffigan's wife in a new pilot. Yup. Sigh. [Deadline]
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Holy Haymitch, here's the first official poster for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. It's a fake poster for Katniss and Peeta's victor tour, all stylized and bright, bright white. It's interesting, but like a lot in the first movie, sorta feels tonally off. Doesn't it? Wasn't that movie just not correct in some elemental way? Oh well. I'll be seeing this as soon as I can, of course. I am powerless against it.
