John Wells News

TNT has greenlit MONDAY MORNINGS, a powerful new series from award-winning producer David E. Kelley (Ally McBeal, Chicago Hope) and practicing neurosurgeon and CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, M.D., on whose book the series is based. The medical drama stars Broadway vets Bill Irwin and Alfred Molina.

ET Online reports that the life story of CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta will become a weekly scripted TV series. The 10-episode series will be led by TV producer David E. Kelley, producer of Chicago Hope, Picket Fences and Ally McBeal.

TNT's head of programming Michael Wright announced today that the network will be renewing its hit drama series SOUTHLAND for a fifth season

E! Entertainment is delivering on its promise to expand into scripted programming with the announcement of the network's first slate of projects in active development.

New Repertory Theatre announces the encore staging of THREE VIEWINGS by Jeffrey Hatcher at Lane-Comley Studio 210, Boston University Theatre Complex, May 18 through June 3, 2012.

Academy Award® nominee and Emmy® Award winner David Strathairn (Dr. Austin Sloper) will join Academy Award® nominee Jessica Chastain (Catherine Sloper) in the Tony Award®-winning play The Heiress. Written by Ruth Goetz & Augustus Goetz, The Heiress will be directed by Tony Award® nominated playwright and director Moisés Kaufman and will open in the Fall of 2012 at a theatre to be announced.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater has announced the cast and creative team for the world premiere of Massacre (Sing to Your Children), by Obie Award-winning playwright Jose Rivera, directed by Brian Mertes. Performances will begin Wednesday, April 4th at Rattlestick Theater (224 Waverly Place - off Seventh Avenue South, between Perry & West 11th Streets). The official opening night is set for Thursday, April 12th. The production is scheduled to run through May 12th.

TNT is set to take a truly innovative approach to catching viewers up with the Ewing family as it unveils the new Dallas Facebook Page today. As one of the first brands to implement a Facebook Page utilizing the new timeline and cover photo features, the Dallas Page will have a complete chronicle of the Ewing clan's colorful history; as told by JR Ewing.

TNT will once again air exclusive live coverage of the 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend from Orlando, Feb. 23-26. The network's more than 15 hours of live coverage tips off on Thursday, Feb. 23, with doubleheader action beginning at 7 p.m. (ET) with NBA Tip-Off presented by AutoTrader.com airing live from Orlando.

It's official. According to Deadline Hollywood, Meryl Streep will play Violet Weston and Julia Roberts will play Weston's adult daughter, Barbara, in the film version of the Tony Award-winning Broadway play, August: Osage County, written by Tracy Letts. John Wells directs. August follows the Weston family women as their lives suddenly clash when family troubles arise and foce them to return to the Midwest house they grew up in, as well as the unorthodox woman who raised them. The Weinstein Company's Harvey and Bob Weinstein announced Wednesday that the film that will go into production this fall.

TNT will once again air exclusive live coverage of the 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend from Orlando, Feb. 23-26. The network's more than 15 hours of live coverage tips off on Thursday, Feb. 23, with doubleheader action beginning at 7 p.m. (ET) with NBA Tip-Off presented by AutoTrader.com airing live from Orlando.

As BroadwayWorld reported back in 2010, Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep have been in talks to star in the film adaptation of Tracy Letts' Pulitzer Prize and Tony-winning play, August: Osage County. Producers at the Weinstein Company, which is developing the project alongside the show's producer Jean Dourmanian, had been hopeful to begin filming in the summer of 2011, however the project was sidelined for what was believed to be scheduling conflicts. Not much has been mentioned on its progress since.

On the heels of record-setting premiere ratings for the network's Sunday night line-up and continued audience growth, SHOWTIME has picked up new seasons of SHAMELESS, HOUSE OF LIES and CALIFORNICATION.

Actress Marla Gibbs will reunite with her 227 co-star Regina King in a special episode of TNT's SOUTHLAND entitled 'Underwater' on Tuesday, January 24, at 10/9c. Gibbs played King's mother on the long-running 1980's sitcom.

In support of its returning hit drama series SHAMELESS, SHOWTIME will launch a 5-day endurance competition where the winning team will win $50,000.

TNT's acclaimed series SOUTHLAND returns for Season 4 tonight. In the episode, Officer John Cooper returns to duty after recovering from back surgery and meets his new partner, Officer Jessica Tang (special guest star Lucy Liu), a tough and disciplined cop with her own set of baggage from working the streets.

The cast and crew of SOUTHLAND are back on the streets of Los Angeles as production begins on a fourth season of the acclaimed TNT drama series. The intensely personal, first-person look at cops and detectives on the beat stars Michael Cudlitz, Shawn Hatosy, Regina King and Ben McKenzie, who will be joined this season by special guest star Lucy Liu. TNT's Southland is set to launch its new season Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT).

The Gallaghers return for a SHAMELESS new season in on Sunday, January 8, 2012 at 9 PM ET/PT. To kick off the holidays, the cast of SHAMELESS has recorded a naughty Christmas carol, with music and lyrics by series star William H. Macy.