With "Mad Men" swinging back into action this past weekend, and "Game of Thrones" premiering on Sunday (unless 'tis all an elaborate April Fools jest), it seems a perfect time to round up all of the TV news coming our way this week.
Fresh off her excruciating hosting return to "Saturday Night Live," self-aware trainwreck Lindsay Lohan has now signed on to appear as national talent judge Lindsay Lohan in an upcoming episode of "Glee," another pop-culture entity once well-respected but banished to a primetime punchline. Within the show, Lohan herself has been the target of many jokes, but this confirms her comeback strategy to snuff out her detractors by appearing on the offensive source itself. See for yourself when the new season continues on April 10th on Fox. [People]
In other, much more deserving news, actor Tommy Lee Jones is in talks with AMC to direct the pilot of “The Real All-Americans,” a drama chronicling the historic Native American college football program in Pennsylvania, most famous for nurturing a wealth of celebrated athletes and coaches including Olympian Jim Thorpe and coach Glenn “Pop” Warner. Football is a subject that Jones (who is part-Cherokee himself) is intimately knowledgeable about, having actually played defensive tackle at Harvard, and recounted the experience for the documentary “Harvard Beats Yale 29-29.” The script for "The Real All-Americans," written by Harry J. Ufland and Nicholas Meyer, is based off the book by Sally Jenkins, and the project itself seems a perfect fit for AMC, who are currently riding high with their period western "Hell on Wheels." Given the talent and material involved, you can probably expect news of a full series to follow soon. [THR]
In a continuation of character roles dealing with fame, betrayal, and extroverted posturing, Jeremy Piven has been cast in the upcoming ITV drama series, "Mr. Selfridge," created by Andrew Davies ("Bleak House") and based on the book "Shopping, Seduction And Mr Selfridge" by Lindy Woodhead. The series, which is set in 1909 London, concerns the flamboyant American entrepreneur Harry Gordon Selfridge (nicknamed “Mile a Minute Harry”), and charts his pursuit of the ultimate shopping experience for his customers by opening the famous department store Selfridge's. Mr. Selfridge boasts a supporting cast of European thespians including Frances O'Connor, Gregory Fitoussi, Aisling Loftlus, Trystan Gravelle and Zoe Tapper, and should premiere sometime this year. [Deadline]
Even as Rosario Dawson has kept a low profile film-wise this past year, the talented actress has quietly been turning out quality work in other mediums, including comic books. "O.C.T.: Occult Crimes Taskforce," a comic that Dawson herself created with writer David Atchison and illustrator Tony Shasteen, is now being adapted into a scripted drama for A&E. The story follows a female NYPD officer who is drafted into a supernatural crime team, the Occult Crimes Taskforce, who cleans the city streets of demons and criminals alike. Gale Anne Hurd, producer on "The Walking Dead," is helping to produce the project with Dawson, who will probably take the lead in the series, since the main character in the graphic novel was modeled on her to begin with. [THR]
Finally, in a spot of gleefully exciting news for those who remember it, the Howie Mandel-created animated series "Bobby's World" has been made available on streaming or DVD through Amazon.com's CreateSpace venture. Taking place from the nonstop, imaginative perspective of 4-year-old Bobby Generic, the show was a cult classic that ran on Fox Kids from 1990 through 1998, and featured Mandel as both Bobby and the boy's father. For those who only know him from "Deal or No Deal," the 81-episode series is definitely worth your time. [AYS]