TNT has given the greenlight to two new original series.
The network announced their new babies Thursday: A character-driven medical drama Time Heals, starring Jada Pinkett Smith (The Matrix Trilogy), and the fast-paced, undercover police drama The Line, starring Dylan McDermott (The Practice).
"Our new series are consistent with our belief that audiences are drawn to relatable, complex characters showcased in exciting, emotional settings and storylines," said Michael Wright, executive vice president of TNT, TBS and TCM.
"These new series also reflect our belief that great television comes from great talent. The talent at work on these shows is among the best in the business at delivering quality entertainment," said Wright...
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Jada Pinkett Smith is coming back to television. Pinkett Smith has signed on to play the lead in TNT's new drama pilot, Time Heals. She will play Nancy Hawthorne, a unsung hero and single mom who works as the nursing director at Charlotte Mercy Hospital in North Carolina. The pilot was created John Masius (St. Elsewhere, Providence), who will also serve as executive producer. Pinkett Smith and Jamie Tarses (My Boys) will also be exec producers. TNT isn't straying far from its thus-far successful formula. Like current hits The Closer and Saving Grace, this new show focuses on a strong female lead played by an A-list actress. Pinkett Smith turned in two years of work on A Different World before moving on to the greener pastures of feature films like the Matrix trilogy and the recently released The Women. — Adam Bryant
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Although a recent article in Radar magazine suggests that Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett have been recruited into the Church of Scientology, the I Am Legend star is adamantly denying the claim.Smith says that being a close pal of Scientology poster child Tom Cruise doesn't require him to subscribe to the same religious beliefs. "You don't have to be Jewish to be a friend of Steven Spielberg. You don't have to be a Muslim to be a friend of Muhammad Ali. And you don't have to be a Scientologist to be a friend of Tom Cruise," Smith told the New York Daily News. "I am a Christian. I am a student of all religions. And I respect all people and all paths."Model/designer Kimora Lee Simmons was also named as a recruit, but her rep has also denied any involvement with the church. Do you feel celebs are now trying to distance themselves from Scientology? — Adam Bryant
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Paul Verhoeven will direct Pierce Brosnan but sadly not Rene Russo in a sequel to The Thomas Crown Affair remake. Me, I'm boycotting unless Famke Janssen gets the female lead.... Jada Pinkett Smith will make her directorial debut with The Human Contract, a rom-com whose description makes it sound an awful lot like the old Melanie Griffith/Jeff Daniels movie Something Wild.... Juno director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody are reteaming for Jennifer's Body, a horror comedy about a man-eating cheerleader.... Ridley Scott has signed on to helm Stones, a Stonehenge spookfest. — Ben Katner
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Tons of kids wearing black and metal horns high. It's the VH1 Rock Honors baby, yeah! Right now, my iPod is filled with nothing but '80s music and metal. So naturally, the second annual Rock Honors was highly anticipated in the Steed household. Over the past week, I've closed my eyes to not read any reviews of the show by critics who've never gotten near a ZZ Top album. So what you read below is my opinion only. Hell, yeah!!! That phrase could describe many points during the night, so let's run it down from the beginning. I hate Nickelback! I think they are the absolute bottom of the barrel, the point at which all bad music is judged. The Mendoza Line of the music world. Naturally then, you can probably understand that when they opened this broadcast my horns slithered away. But — and Lord, forgive me for saying this, but I promise this will be the only time — Nickelback actually rocked. D'oh. Making that statement almost makes me vomit, but it's true. Their performance of...
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