HOW ‘SMALLVILLE’ GOT ITS BRANIAC BACK
James ‘Spike’ Marsters, who recently celebrated his forty-fifth birthday, will return to the set of the CW’s Smallville, reports E’s Kristin. Marsters is set to reprise his role as Dr. Milton Fine/Braniac on the superhero drama that used to be the shame of comic geeks everywhere…that is, until Heroes started up. It’s not yet revealed by the CW in what context Braniac will return, but when he does…I’m betting he has an agenda! Marsters will also appear in a recurring role as a detective on Without a Trace this season. Aw, look — he’s playing his age. Isn’t that sweet? Smallville began its seventh and rumored to be final season last Thursday at 8 on the CW.
DEXTER VS. WILD BILL
Keith Carradine just pulled ahead of his half-brother David in the comeback sweepstakes. As you remember, both Keith and David garnered loads of critical goodwill for their 2004 roles in Deadwood and Kill Bill, respectively, then went on to star in such things as Complete Savages (Keith) and Epic Movie (David). And while David prepares for what’s sure to be a grueling role in Fashion: The Movie, Keith’s ready to co-star in one of the best returning shows of the fall season: Dexter. Carradine will join the second season cast of Showtime’s serial killer drama starring Michael C. Hall. Carradine’s role has yet to be revealed, but it makes the already awesome show just a little more awesome. The second season of Dexter premieres tomorrow.
‘EUREKA’ INVENTS A THIRD-SEASON PICKUP
The Sci-Fi Channel, home of Dr. Who and Battlestar: Galactica, has picked up its quirky original series Eureka for a third season. I have to be completely honest here: I had no idea this show was still on until I saw an ad for the second season finale during the Bionic Woman repeat. Still, the first season premiere remains the highest rated show in SciFi Channel history, and so the network ordered a thirteen episodes to begin production next year for a Summer 2008 premiere. Eureka‘s second season finale airs at 9 this Tuesday, October 2nd.
IS THIS BECAUSE SHE’S A LESBIAN?
Elizabeth Rohm, good on Angel and bad on everything since, will be joining the cast of ABC’s Big Shots (one of the few new dramas I haven’t seen yet). Rohm will play Alex Mason, a stock analyst and love interest to Michael Varton, who is a COO of something, as are all the other characters on that show. Rohm’s four year stint on Law & Order only offered one memorable moment — the titular post-firing quip to future Presidential candidate Fred Dalton Thompson (the candidate responded "No") — and she hasn’t done much since. I think she played a mom somewhere. Big Shots and Grey’s Anatomy on Thursday nights at 10 on ABC.
‘STONE’ HAS TO HAVE FAITH
(This title brought to you by every other columnist who thought of it first.) George Michael, late of Wham!, will guest star in several episodes of the latest show from Greg Berlani, Eli Stone. That’s the one about the lawyer played by Jonny Lee Miller who begins to have visions and comes to realize that he may in fact be a prophet — you know, like in Angels in America, only…not. According to Magic Michael Ausilleo of TV Guide, Michael will play himself in one of Stone’s visions — singing "Faith." Michael will also attempt to act in a future episode of Stone, where he will play Stone’s guardianang…I’m sorry, guys. I totally forgot. I left the Obvious-Mobile running outside and I’ve got to go get it.