Steven Spielberg

ER veteran Noah Wyle is locked in as the lead in TNT's new sci-fi series from Steven Spielberg.

Wyle will play the leader of a group of soldiers and civilians that battle against an alien force, according to the network. The pilot opens shortly after the aliens have decimated the human population, and Wyle's group sets out to find survivors.

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Spielberg is executive-producing the as-yet-untitled series. Oscar-nominated screenwriter Robert Rodat (Saving Private Ryan) will write the pilot.

The series serves as a reunion of sorts for Wyle and Spielberg, who was... read more 11 Comments

Convicted financier Bernie Madoff, sentenced Monday to 150 years in prison, counted a who's who of celebrities among his victims.

Kevin Bacon and his wife, The Closer's Kyra Sedgwick, confirmed in December that they were among the thousands duped by Madoff, who was convicted of hatching a $65 billion Ponzi scheme. The couple did not specify their loss, but Bacon said he was searching for projects because, "I need to work, for obvious reasons."

Art imitates life? Find out how The Closer's season premiere mirrored Madoff's scheme

Last month, Sedgwick said the couple was hurt, but not ...
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The Closer, starring Kyra Sedgwick, and Saving Grace, starring Holly Hunter, are also among the cabler's returning original series.

As for new fare, TNT is rolling out this summer HawthoRNe, a medical drama fronted by Jada Pinkett Smith; Dark Blue, a police drama led by Dylan McDermott (The Practice); and Wedding Day, a reality series from Mark Burnett.

The cabler's development slate for the 2009-10 season and beyond, meawhile, is both out-of-this-world and down-to-earth.

The dramedy Men of a Certain Age — starring Ray Romano (also a creator on the series), Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula — has been greenlit and tabbed for ... read more 10 Comments

Showtime's United States of Tara (Sundays, 10 pm/ET) is returning for a second season.

At least one of the show's writers had her fingers crossed for a Season 2 — and not just because she likes her job. "We really had a hard time putting everything we wanted to do [with the series] in 12 episodes — and that's not always the case!" Alexa Junge told TVGuide.com at the series' outset. "[Tara's] got a good story to tell, and we're just getting rolling here."

After ongoing negotiation, DreamWorks and Universal have signed their seven-year distribution deal, which effectively settles Paramount's divorce from Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider and lets the producing pair begin a new endeavor without sacrificing the capital to do it — or burning any industry bridges.

The two DreamWorks honchos recently stepped away from their Paramount relationship to partner with India's Reliance Big Entertainment, which will distribute the company's films on its home turf and has financed the new joint venture.

A few notable details of the deal seem to be win-win for all studios involved, and keep Paramount in the loop. read more be the first to leave a comment