Ryan Murphy News

Critic's Cut runs every Monday, presenting television's 'Best Of' moments, characters, shows, and more! This week's edition presents some of the best - and absolute worst - fatherly figures in TV history. Check it out below!

Ryan Murphy has been fairly mum on the upcoming third season of his hit show American Horror Story on FX - but that all changed when the creator took the stage at this year's Paley Fest last night, according to TV Line.

Following the breaking news that NBC had booted its Broadway-themed series SMASH to Saturday nights, the network has announced a slew of switch-ups to its primetime schedule. Read on for for the full listing of updates, but keep in mind: things don't look good for Ryan Murphy's freshman comedy THE NEW NORMAL

Today we are talking to a veritable legend in her own time - arguably the most influential and recognizable female stand-up comedian of all time, the one and only Joan Rivers. Opening up and revealing her trademark, impossible-to-top wit all the while, Rivers and I discuss many aspects of her life and career, with a particular focus on her many current projects - most importantly, the third season of her smash hit reality series JOAN & MELISSA: JOAN KNOWS BEST? on WE TV. What will happen when Joan, Melissa and company visit Colonial Williamsburg? What illicitness will they discover on Willie Nelson's former tour bus? Will Joan get arrested for protesting her book being banned at a big retailer? Answers to these questions all will be arrived up on Saturday. In addition to all about JOAN & MELISSA Season Three and the current series-high ratings run of FASHION POLICE, Rivers and I take a look back at many of the remarkable figures she has encountered and worked with over the course of her career - among them: Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Woody Allen and many more - and she generously shares candid backstage stories and remembrances as only she can. Of paramount interest to theatre fans may be the announcement of a revival of her one-woman play SALLY MARR… AND HER ESCORTS, which she will be reviving in a special weekly pop-up theatre space on Broadway later this year. Also, as if all of that were not enough, Joan gives us the 411 on her new uncensored web series, IN BED WITH JOAN, as well as her cute new pet lover's web project, MY FAT PET. Plus, her fashion forecast for 2013 and best current trends, favorite films of awards season, thoughts on Broadway today and her picks for the best shows to see as well as much, much more awaits in this career-spanning conversation!

Genre-bending musical artist Yoko Ono has agreed to allow NBC's The New Normal to feature one of her deceased husband's most beloved and cherished songs in the season finale of the freshman series - John Lennon's 'Beautiful Boy'.

Last night, one of the most significant theatre-related entities in the universe paid tribute to the game-changing film that re-introduced the movie musical to modern audiences back in 1999: Baz Luhrmann's musical masterpiece, MOULIN ROUGE. And, it more than merely delivered on the inherent promise presented by that seminal film.

According to a breaking news tidbit and a recent picture posted on Twitter by the show's creator, Glee looks likely to be bringing the international pop icons the Spice Girls to the small screen in the coming weeks with a musical tribute performance.

At last night's PaleyFest panel in Los Angeles, the cast and producers of NBC's comedy THE NEW NORMAL revealed some surprises about the upcoming episodes of its freshman season. Deadline reports that the show's co-creator Ryan Murphy confirmed that John Stamos, who hosted the panel, would continue to appear in his guest role as realtor 'Brice' in future episodes of the show.

Sue Sylvester is about to read you your rights. According to EW.com, Jane Lynch has officially signed on to lend her voice to Fox's upcoming animated series MURDER POLICE, alongside Wilmer Valderamma. The new series, created by FAMILY GUY's David A. Goodman and Jason Ruiz, is set to kick-off its 13-episode debut season this fall.

Since its debut in 2009, FOX's Glee has been firmly committed to supporting and promoting music education in schools. Glee continues to give back with the celebration of their 500 th musical performance, an exhilarating rendition of 'Shout,' originally featured in the classic comedy Animal House. In honor of this monumental achievement, Columbia Records and Twentieth Century Fox Television will give 100% of their net proceeds from U.S. downloads of the single 'Shout' starting March 5 th through the end of the season to the GiveA Note Foundation. Glee is proud to work alongside this foundation, which serves to expand and increase music education opportunities for all children. For more information, visit http://giveanote.nafme.org/.

GLEE takes a classic spin with Emma and Will's duet of ALL THE WORLD, from the film ROYAL WEDDING, when Fox's hit show returns on March 7. Check out their black and white number below!

Deadline reports that Jim Parsons and Taylor Kitsch have signed on to the Ryan Murphy-helmed HBO film THE NORMAL HEART. The actors join previously announced cast members Julia Roberts, Mark Ruffalo and Matt Bomer in the cable network's original movie adaptation of the Tony-winning Larry Kramer play.

Deadline reports that Jim Parsons and Taylor Kitsch have signed on to the Ryan Murphy-helmed HBO film THE NORMAL HEART. The actors join previously announced cast members Julia Roberts, Mark Ruffalo and Matt Bomer in the cable network's original movie adaptation of the Tony-winning Larry Kramer play.

GLEE fans may soon be getting what they 'really really want' if Ryan Murphy's tweet is any indication. The show's creator posted an all-new post on his Twitter account reading, 'Spice up ur life' along with an image of Becca Tobin's charachter dressed in an iconic Spice Girl's outfit.

According to TVLine, the legendary Kathy Bates is nearing a deal to join Ryan Murphy's terrifying anthology series AMERICAN HORROR STORY.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Glee star Jane Lynch, who will also be jumping into the role of 'Miss Hannigan' in Broadway's ANNIE in May, will host NBC's new game show, 'Hollywood Game Night', produced by Emmy Award winning actor and producer Sean Hayes ('Will & Grace', 'Hot in Cleveland').

Emmy Award-winning actress Jane Lynch, who stars in the hit FOX television show 'Glee' as ruthless cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester, will take on another great tyrannical role as evil orphanage matron Miss Hannigan in the new Broadway production of ANNIE at the Palace Theatre (1564 Broadway between 46th and 47th Streets). Lynch, a stage veteran of Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company and The Second City, will be making her Broadway debut. She will play Miss Hannigan for eight weeks only, from Thursday, May 16 through Sunday, July 14.

In an interview with The Huffington Post, the ever-busy Zachary Quinto confirmed that he would 'probably' not be returning for the third season of Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story once his stint as 'Dr. Oliver Thredson/Bloody Face' is over.

Today we are talking to a notable presence on Broadway and in Hollywood who has appeared in countless celebrated entities - ranging from her Tony Award-winning work in BUTTERFLIES ARE FREE and in the original cast of Harold Pinter's BETRAYAL on Broadway along with dozens of other credits; to starring in feature films like THE PRINCE OF TIDES with Barbra Streisand, and, perhaps most famously the MEET THE FOCKERS franchise; to her newest star turn to date, that of featured player in the hit original Gershwin revue NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT - the elegant and accomplished Blythe Danner. Discussing various roles in a number of wide-ranging projects that she has taken on over the course of her idiosyncratic career thus far - such as memorable turns in four Woody Allen films (HUSBANDS & WIVES, ALICE, CRIMES & MISDEMEANORS and ANOTHER WOMAN) and the classic movie musical adaptation of 1776 all the way to her most recent work with Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller and the Fockers clan in the FOCKERS films as well as THE LUCKY ONE with Zac Efron, DETACHMENT with Adrien Brody, TV pilots and much more. Additionally, Danner shares memories of appearing in the 2001 revival of Stephen Sondheim & James Goldman's FOLLIES, as well as appearing on WILL & GRACE with recent InDepth InterView participant Eric McCormack. Most importantly, she offers her thoughts on NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT as an entertainment experience, Gershwin music in general, her co-stars Matthew Broderick and Kelli O'Hara, choreographer and director Kathleen Marshall as well as what drew her to the hit revue in the first place. All of that, working on one of 2012's most memorable films, DETACHMENT, collaborating with Ryan Murphy and Jonathan Groff on the daring (if ultimately unsuccessful) pilot for PRETTY/HANDSOME, thoughts on her daughter, Gwyneth Paltrow's Emmy-winning work on Glee and much, much more awaits in this career-spanning conversation!

Deadline reports that BOOK OF MORMON star Andrew Rannells has just inked a deal to be repped by UTA. The actor currently stars in the freshman NBC comedy THE NEW NORMAL from Ryan Murphy.