30 Rock to air its final season
US smash hit TV show 30 Rock will soon be coming to an end, NBC producers have recently announced. Though the show received outstanding reviews when it first aired and won a string of Emmy awards, falling ratings have forced the show to end after a shortened seventh season.
The star shows Tiny Fey as comedy writer Liz Lemon and follows the trials and tribulations of her life, supported by Alec Baldwin as her critical boss/mentor, Jack Donaghy. The show regularly features cameos from celebrities such as Robert DeNiro, Kelsey Grammer and Julianne Moore, adding to its widespread popularity. It is also based in part on Tina Fey’s experiences as a writer on late night sketch show Saturday Night Live and regularly features some of her SNL co-stars.
30 Rock, though hugely successful, seems to be overshadowed by other comedy shows such as the multi award-winning Modern Family and teen rom-com-musical show Glee. Though the show’s future looks bleak, Fey confirms that both she and Baldwin will be staying with 30 Rock until the very end.
Avengers break US Box Office record
Superhero movie Marvel Avengers Assemble has smashed the previous best opening weekend figures, held by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, which opened in July 2011. The climax in the Harry Potter series took £104 million, whereas the Avengers took £123 million.
The film was directed by Joss Whedon, of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly fame, and boasts an all-star cast. The film is the unification of over 5 different comic-book characters and story arcs, including Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk, Hawk-Eye and Black Widow. Captain America and Thor were both feature films last year and actor Robert Downey Jr. is close to his 3rd feature film as Iron Man.
Marvel Avengers Assemble also starred Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, leader of the motley crew, Scarlett Johannson as Black Widow and a new reincarnation of the Incredible Hulk in the form of Mark Ruffalo. The film’s success looks set to continue, with contracts signed with certain actors for a further 6 films.
Fox plan new series for hit shows
Fans of the hit TV show Glee, which airs on Channel 4 in the UK, will be pleased to hear that US producers Fox will be continuing the show for a fourth season. The show focuses on a high-school in Ohio and the trial and tribulations of the students in the show choir club there. Whilst remaining a light-hearted musical comedy, the show has received critical acclaim for its portrayal of important social issues such as homosexuality, physical disabilities and the pressure to achieve academically.
Fox have also revealed that they will be producing a second season of the smash-success New Girl, starring Zooey Deschanel. Deschanel has starred in many films but made a name for herself in the last few years with her performance in 500 Days of Summer. Her performance as Jess in New Girl earned Fox some great ratings and with a new season in production, the network looks set to continue its success in the young adult market.
Golden Globes 2012
The Golden Globes 2012 The Golden Globes are an award ceremony which was created in 1944 and which honour the very best in domestic and foreign film and television. The awards are allocated by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) and the ceremony has taken place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, since 1961.
Every year the awards celebrate the enormous achievements made by the film and television industry and 2011 was no exception. The most notable awards from this year included a triple win for the silent feature The Artist which won Best Film (comedy or musical), Best Actor for Jean Dujardin (comedy or musical) and Best Score. The film has also been nominated for no less than twelve Baftas, while British spy-thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy comes in just behind it with 11.
The leading ladies will also have a tough time battling it out for the Best Actress award, with stellar performances from Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady), Tilda Swinton (We Need To Talk About Kevin), Michelle Williams (My Week With Marilyn), Berenice Bejo (The Artist) and Viola Davis (The Help) all competing for the coveted prize.
Benedict Cumberbatch to join cast of Star Trek II
British actor Benedict Cumberbatch has become a household name in the past year and his upcoming projects seem set to rocket him to even greater stardom. Born in London is 1976, he trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. His repertoire boasts a wide range of work in theatre, radio, film and TV, his most notable success and fame coming his portrayal of the eponymous hero of the BBC production of Sherlock Holmes, which was aired last year and which has just started its second series. The role saw him paired with fellow British actor Martin Freeman, who played his mystery-solving companion Dr. Watson.
Ironically, the pair will be starring as adversaries in the upcoming 2012 adaptation of Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Freeman landed the leading role as the young Bilbo Baggins whilst Cumberbatch will be providing the voice of Smaug, the dragon whose treasure the hobbit and his party set out to steal.
Riding the wave of his success even further, Cumberbatch has also been cast in the upcoming sequel to J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek which came out in 2009. The actor’s role is as of yet unconfirmed but reports suggest he may be playing the film’s villain. Other Brits to join this stellar production are Simon Pegg, who will be reprising his role as Scotty, and Noel Clarke of both Doctor Who fame and the writer and director of Brit smash Kidulthood.

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